Six break-ins at the ARC: 'to have it just walk away is disheartening'

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- ARC of Lane County is an organization that provides programs for people intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also gives parents of disabled children a support system.

Managers said it's a place where families should feel safe; a second home.

However, ARC has fallen victim of thieves on six different occasions after numerous items were stolen over the last three months.

"We have a lot of people who give their time and money to help us and to have it just walk away in the matter of a day is disheartening," says Director of Development Julianne Harris.

The facility relies on donations of time, money and clothing from the community. Recently, a construction company and several other businesses came together to build ARC some benches for its park area.

"We came out the other day. We built six benches and two of them were gone." said Harris.

The benches weren't the only things stolen in the last three months. A storage shed at the ARC was broken into four different times. Among the items taken were donated clothes, a tent and a computer.

"Our participants bikes have been stolen. I mean, those are how our clients get exercise and out into the community to get fresh air," says Harris.

These thefts have created a problem for the ARC; they don't have the funds to replace the stolen items. ARC employees are trying to keep up with the programs they provide and make sure those continue to be available on the limited budget they do have.

ARC employees hope the public will keep an eye out for anything suspicious and report it to police.