Thieves targeting Peterborough thrift stores after hours

Vinnies normal supervisor Angela Oran seems to be on as staff James Coombes and Sam Brown kind donated gadgets on the retailer on Erskine Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022 in Peterborough, Ont. The shops have been coping with vandalism and theft of donations.

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The final supervisor of Vinnies thrift shops is asking individuals to donate throughout enterprise hours solely — fairly than leaving baggage of donated clothes and home items in a single day — to curb ongoing theft.

“I imply, you possibly can financial institution on it: if it’s left after hours, we don’t get it,” stated Angela Oran, who manages the Vinnies shops on Erskine Avenue and on George Avenue in Peterborough, in addition to the one on Queen Avenue in Lakefield.

Vinnies is the thrift retailer of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Its proceeds fund the society’s meals pantry.

Oran stated every time individuals depart donation baggage exterior both of the Peterborough shops, “it’s 100 per cent assured” that the baggage might be ripped open and the donated items might be “stolen, destroyed or thrown everywhere in the car parking zone.”

It’s not an issue in Lakefield, she stated, however in Peterborough the problem impacts each shops.

Vinnies has been accepting donations all through the COVID-19 pandemic, Oran stated: the shops are open to obtain gadgets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.

Donations are sorted in a warehouse, she stated, and gadgets are saved there in quarantine for 72 hours earlier than distribution to the shops.

Vinnies additionally has three vehicles to ship donated items to the shops and people vehicles had been damaged into lately whereas parked exterior the Erskine Avenue location.

Oran stated she has daytime safety footage from the weekend of somebody utilizing bolt cutters to interrupt the outside locks on the truck doorways (and within the course of, damaging these truck doorways).

Oran says employees does contact police about these points as they come up.

Vinnies provides clothes to those that want them, however Oran stated she thinks persons are stealing donation baggage as a result of they may discover gadgets similar to high-end clothes they'll promote.

It hurts the charity’s means to assist every time that happens, she stated.

Moreover she says Vinnies employees usually has to scrub up used syringes or feces after individuals have been trespassing.

“It’s a well being and security concern,” she stated.

In the meantime the Vinnies retailer at 539 George St. N. — within the former Kaye’s Funeral Dwelling — is closing for good on Jan. 29 and reopening at 52 Hunter St. E., within the former Cambium Consulting and Engineering constructing, on Feb. 28.

The proprietor of the property on George Avenue, Simon Zhang of Toronto-based ZZY Property Group, is planning to tear down the constructing someday over the subsequent 18 months to 2 years and change it with a rental condo constructing of six to eight storeys.