A West Valley community organization has been hit by a theft, resulting in the loss of approximately $7,500 in donated items from their storage unit, items meant to bring joy to around 450 kids during the holiday season. Judge Joe "Pep" Guzman of the Westside Recreational Program discovered the burglary, which included toys, clothes, and blankets, along with supplies for a Cinco de Mayo fundraiser, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. The theft occurred just before a key fundraising event intended to support local children.
In response, community members urgently assembled a fundraiser in the West Valley, intended to compensate for a portion of the stolen goods. Judge Pep encountered the devastation firsthand, stating, "When I arrived this morning, this is how I found my lock," an interview cited by FOX 10 Phoenix. In addition to holiday gifts, the storage unit contained critical resources for future organizational activities, highlighting the multi-event impact of the break-in.
Despite this setback, the spirit of generosity remains undeterred within the organization. Judge Pep, reflecting on the theft and its implications, expressed a resolute sentiment to FOX 10 Phoenix, "Our nonprofit organization has been in existence for more than 50 years helping kids improve in the classroom and improve in recreational sports, and that mission is not going to end because of the incident this morning, in fact, it's going to strengthen our resolve to do more."
The unforeseen trial has forged a stronger determination among program leaders to overcome the adversity. "That's a message we teach to our children; don't take things that don’t belong to you. And that's what has happened to us by an adult. He has taken things that don't belong to him, that belong to our community, to our kids," Guzman said, according to a statement obtained by MSN. The organization remains hopeful that the stolen items will be recovered in time for their upcoming event on Saturday, and the support from the community fundraiser signifies a collective resistance to allow the theft to dampen the holiday spirit.
