Carl D. Thomas Boys and Girls Club terminates services after another burglary
Despite various security efforts over the years, club leaders say they've faced incident after incident, and they believe professionals were involved in the most recent burglary.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Carl D. Thomas Boys & Girls Club on Bloomfield Road says it has terminated all programs and services after falling victim to another burglary.
Despite various security efforts over the years, club leaders say they’ve faced incident after incident, and they believe professionals were involved in the most recent burglary, during which copper and coils were stolen from air conditioning units. This time, the damage to the property was so severe—estimated to exceed $1,000,000—that it made the units effectively useless.
The club announced Wednesday that due to financial constraints and insurance limitations, the cost of replacing the units is beyond their means.
The club says criminals have noticed the property, owned by the Bibb County School District, is located in a mostly abandoned area, making it a prime target for criminals.
“A lot of times these kids come to the Boys and Girls Club for after school programming, knowing that they’re going to receive a healthy snack and a hot meal,” President and CEO Phillip Bryant said. “For many of them, it may be the last meal that they receive for the day, and so the perpetrators have done a significant amount of damage, not just to the building, but also to the lives of the young people that we serve here every single day. The parents and the kids are extremely disappointed.”
“We’re hoping that the community, someone in the community, the business community, friends and families, supporters of the Boys and Girls Club would be able to step up and help us to repair these units or replace the units,” Bryant said. “You can’t even repair the units, so the units have to be replaced. We’re hoping and pleading to the community for their support, because the families and the kids of this community, this Bloomfield community, need the Boys and Girls Club after school program. They need the services and programs that we provide, and it is breaking our heart to have to close this facility’s programs and services for the families that need us most.”
Bryant also says they are meeting with community partners right now to see if they can transfer to a temporary location or possible permanent location.
