Editorial: Shame on heartless thieves

Amanda Martin from the Salvation Army.

Yesterday was a pretty gut-wrenching day at work.

After seeing the community's effort in recent weeks to help fill the stocks at the Salvation Army's foodbank, a bunch of lowlifes have spoilt it in one fell swoop.

The Salvation Army church hall on Old Taupo Rd was broken into overnight on Tuesday and food donated to the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal was stolen.

The heartless culprits took up to a dozen boxes of food that was to be distributed at Christmas to needy families.

The theft came just one day after a hugely successful can drive in the Westbrook area on Monday.

Many of us from the newspaper were out in force with the Sallies, Rotorua Fire Brigade, Okareka Volunteer Fire Brigade and members of the public pounding the pavements collecting the goods.

I can tell you these donations came from the heart - many weren't from wealthy families but they gave because they knew those receiving them would be less fortunate than they.

To the thieves who have done this - how dare you? It's Christmas for goodness sake and there is absolutely no excuse.

Local residents are suitably horrified, if comments on our Facebook page are anything to go by.

Some of those posting comments labelled the culprits as "thieving scum", "lowest of the lowest" and "psychologically disturbed".

One commented the culprits when caught should be made to stand in the middle of carol singers and be "egged".

This theft is a major setback for the Salvation Army which is struggling this year more than any to feed those in need.

If you were toying with donating, now is the time to dig deep and come forward.

We would be very grateful to receive anything to claw back what we have lost.