AMHERST – Clients at the Bridge Workshop didn’t have to wait long for somebody to come forward to help them set things straight.
Atlantic Windows donated 27 jackets to the workshop after two jackets belonging to clients at the centre, which works with mentally challenged adults, were stolen on Dec. 16.
“It blows my mind that somebody would steal jackets from here,” said Atlantic Windows representative Stephanie Chappell after she dropped the jackets off. “The individuals that work here would give you the jackets off their back, so for someone to steal the jacket off their back is selfish.”
The centre was acting as a pick-up point for the annual Christmas for Kids charity that donates to needy families in the area and someone visiting the facility to pick up toys stole the coats.
Atlantic Windows decided to donate the jackets after reading an article about the theft in Wednesday's edition of the Amherst Daily News.
“My cousin (Nick Noiles) works here and he told me the other day that the jackets were in the front porch and it was getting too cold and Susan (Thibodeau, workshop director) was nice enough to bring them in, and then I read in the paper that that wasn’t the whole story,” said Chappell. “After I read the story, I emailed the president of Atlantic Windows, Rob Miller, and asked him to read the article and he said it was terrible and sad what happened.
“We had several jackets in the back and I thought we could donate them, and he said for sure.”
Thibodeau said everybody at the workshop is thrilled with the donation.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “When we had our fire five years ago Atlantic Windows was one of the first companies to step up and help us out, so I’m not surprised they came forward today.”
Thibodeau said that, besides the jackets, somebody came to the workshop on Wednesday to donate $100.
“It can take one person to spoil things but it takes only a few people to make things right,” said Thibodeau. “The generosity of the community is always overwhelming.”
dmathieson@amherstdaily.com
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WOW......way to go Atlantic Windows. What a great end to a terrible story !!!!!