A Chatham couple is devastated after their home was ransacked, and $25,000 in cash, jewelry, gifts, family heirlooms and electronics was stolen last Wednesday.
Chatham-Kent police say sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday three suspects forced their way into the Baldoon Road home and made off with the items.
But, while Brent and Tammy Ripley are still coming to terms with the theft, they are also learning about the generosity of their community.
Brent owns a small dry-cleaning business where they collect money all year so they can feed more than 600 people a full turkey dinner at Christmas.
That money - $3,500 in cash - was stolen from their home, but it didn't stop them from deciding to host that dinner.
Brent says "More than likely the person who did it, we're going to feed, and we have been feeding...I would rather use my business to help and have a little bit less in my pocket."
But the community the Ripleys have supported for years, has come together to return the favour.
"A young girl come walking in the door, not one of my customers, came in and gave us a $20 bill and said 'Here, I heard what happened, here you go,' and walked out the door," Brent says.
In fact, before the dinner started on Sunday, they had more money than before the robbery.
Brent says more than 30 businesses in Chatham stepped up with either money or in-kind donations, and he had so many volunteers for the dinner he didn't have a job for each of them.
"We can't let the bad people win, we gotta be the good, the good is overpowering the bad."
Since they raised more money than needed, the remainder will all be donated to soup kitchens and food banks in Chatham-Kent, so they can feed people not just over the holidays, but also into the New Year.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact police at 519-436-6600 Ext. #87106 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
