On the morning of November 18, 2015, Lafayette Habitat for Humanity’s construction crew discovered that six brand new nail guns and various other new tools had been stolen from the company’s locked tool trailer. The padlocked trailer was parked at our Surrey Street warehouse, where it was secured behind a locked fence.
Habitat employees determined that the trailer latch was removed using a grinding tool, a process that would have taken a considerable amount of time. Combined, the stolen tools were valued at approximately $3,000.
This theft comes on the heels of a prior incident on September 30, 2015, where six nail guns and other tools were taken, totaling $2,000 in losses. Again, our trailer was parked in a gated location accessible only with a key code, and its latch was removed with a grinding tool.
Habitat’s losses now total nearly $5,000 in three months, and the tools must be replaced before construction on Habitat homes can continue. You can see news coverage of the event here: http://www.katc.com/story/30555014/suspects-wan….
We are mid-way through framing the first house in its 13-home East Pinhook Road subdivision, and construction is expected to begin construction on three more of these homes before the end of the year. Our Executive Director Melinda Taylor stated, “Habitat aims to be an efficient steward of organizational resources, so it’s discouraging when we have to take funds that could be used to purchase building materials and use them to replace stolen tools.”
This is a big blow to our team, but we’re determined to keep our construction and volunteer schedules on track! Want to know how you can help re-stock our trailer? We’re accepting donations of any size- plus all donations are tax deductible! Monetary donations can be made using our website, or via our Indiegogo campaign page: https://www.generosity.com/fundraisers/lafayette-habitat-s-tool-replacement-fund/x/12800664.
We’d like to thank you in advance for partnering with us! It’s because of great supporters like you that we can build hope in our community, one home at a time.