Gifts and food for homeless people are stolen
Released: 19 December 2007
Cllr Pat Byrne of the council’s Christmas festival steering group said she is devastated and appalled by the theft of gifts meant for homeless people.
Christmas gifts donated by council employees and the public to the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd were stolen from the Methodist Centre in Darlington Street last night. The break-in was discovered this morning. Thieves had also taken was food being stored for a Christmas party for 180 homeless people on Friday.
Cllr Pat Byrne, a member of the Christmas festival steering group said: "I am devastated and appalled by this theft. To think people could do such a thing at anytime, let alone Christmas, is despicable. These gifts had been kindly donated by council staff and the public to help some of society's most vulnerable and now they won't benefit from them. I thank everyone who made a donation and I am just so sad that this has happened."
More than 200 gifts had been donated in just a fortnight to the city council’s charity gift appeal, part of the wider Wolverhampton Christmas Festival.
Local people left gifts at the Civic Centre, the Art Gallery and the Visitor Information Centre in Queen Square for two city-based charities - the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd Homeless project and The Haven Refuge for women and children.
The Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd Homeless Project is based at the Methodist Centre in Darlington Street and offers much needed free services to homeless men including takeaway sandwiches and food parcels, clothing, blankets and showering facilities.
The Haven offers refuge to women and children who are the victims of domestic violence and/or homelessness. It has been based in the city since 1973 and receives 2,000 distress calls every year. Fortunately, gifts for this charity had already been handed over.
Issued by Wolverhampton City Council
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