A real-life Grinch has stolen from an organization that runs palliative care and grief support programs in the Moncton area.
The break-in was first discovered by the store manager, Wanda Brown, when she arrived for her shift at the Hospice Shoppe Saturday morning. She found the glass door shattered and called police.
“When we came in Saturday morning with the RCMP, we discovered that the safe that had been bolted to the wall was torn away,” says Brown. “I figured they would take the computers, the register, the printers, you know, the electronics, but nothing was touched, just the safe was ripped off the wall.”
The deposit from a busy Friday night was still in the safe, thousands of dollars in cash, cheques, and donations for loved ones battling terminal illness, or in memory of those who have already passed away.
“We have had people make donations in memory of their child who has died, or a sister, or a brother, we've had children who come and make donations in memory of their grandparents and this has been a breach of trust,” Joanne Adair, executive director of Hospice Greater Moncton.
The money raised at the Hospice Shoppe goes towards in home palliative care and will help in the construction of a residential hospice.
“We have volunteers in home right now over the holidays with people that are dying and it takes away from that support,” says Brown.
As news of the theft spreads, the community has rallied, with many stopping by to drop off cash donations.
“We had a lady drive in from Shediac this morning to make a substantial donation,” says Brown.
RCMP say they are just as shocked by the theft as the community is. Investigators hope someone will come forward with information that will lead to an arrest.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
