Update: Incident at Thrift Store
On Thursday, an unfortunate incident occurred at the RAPS Thrift Store on Francis Road.
An individual apparently experiencing a mental health crisis was involved in a serious incident of vandalism. A donated television that was outside the store awaiting processing was used to smash two windows on the store and the rear and side windows of the store assistant manager’s car.
“We sympathize with the individual’s situation,” says Karen Kamachi, manager of RAPS Thrift Stores. “We were able to quickly get authorities on the scene and fortunately no one was physically injured.”
The damage occurred just two days after the same store windows were replaced after a vehicle accident shattered them. In 2022, a vehicle drove into the store, causing significant damage and requiring the location to be closed for extensive renovations.
“The Thrift Stores are a very crucial life line for RAPS,” says Eyal Lichtmann, CEO. “We cannot financially survive without functioning Thrift Stores. Neither can we handle these financial hits despite insurance coverage. This may cost RAPS significantly out of pocket. We are worried how this will impact our community programs.”
“This will really affect the Thrift Store cash flow that we need to help the public with veterinary care and to support the RAPS Cat Sanctuary,” says Kamachi. “We can’t keep taking these hits and we do not have the resources at this time to fix this. We are a community and we hope the community can help us.”
