FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth resale shop that helps domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness had to shutdown this week after a burglar broke in early Sunday morning.
The break-in at the SafeHaven owned-and-operated Berry Good Buys Resale Store on West Berry Street couldn't have come at a worse time, and has left both customers and employees in shock, wondering who could do such a thing.
The burglary happened around 5 a.m. Sunday, when a masked thief broke into the store, moving quickly and seemingly knowing exactly where to go to steal the money.
The store managers have surveillance video clips that show the break-in. They hope that despite the thief's mask, someone will recognize the culprit.
Micah Thompson is the marketing manager for Berry Good Buys. This is the time of year the store is the busiest. She hopes the evidence from the security camera pays off for them.
"Whenever you see that person you think more about our families and what they are experiencing, and there are people willing to take from our families who are at the lowest point of their lives," Thompson said.
"It's the cash we are losing by redoing all the locks on the doors, working with the security team. We are losing quite a bit by not being open as well," Thompson said.
Families who have experienced homelessness can shop for free at Berry Good Buys. People donate almost everything you can imagine to charity. The store also raises money by selling items that are dropped off every day.
But due to the break-in, Thompson directed people who showed up Tuesday to give to their other location on Hemphill Street.
Loretta Endres and other supporters have their suspicions about who would steal from a charity. She said she uses giving as part of her faith and walk with Christ so she and her family can be a blessing to others. They donate to charity during the holiday season every year.
"I think [it was] someone who is desperate and someone who doesn't know God," Endres said.
Giving to charity is also a way of life for Eric Murry and his family. He said his parents raised him to be a constant giver and donor to good causes. When he arrived at Berry Good Buys Tuesday afternoon, he learned about the burglary. But he's convinced people will still help Berry Good Buys Safe Haven remain a go-to for needy families in North Texas.
"It's the thing about Fort Worth," Murry said, "we are all about giving. We are always going to help out."
Thompson and her coworkers are still waiting to learn when they will re-open at such a critical time of year. Especially since right now, their two shelters are packed with families in need and experiencing hardship. She hopes police will eventually identify and arrest the thief.
"It was an in-and-out process. He wasn't here for a long time, really," Thompson said.