A police investigation is underway and a group of volunteers is heartbroken after a large haul of donations destined for hurricane-ravaged Jamaica was stolen from a storage facility in Mississauga.
Michael Bennett told CTV News Toronto that he and other volunteers arrived at a Public Storage location, just east of Derry Road and Goreway Drive, on Wednesday morning to load the goods into a 20-foot truck, but everything was gone.
They’d been gathering food, clothing, and generators for people in Jamaica who are recovering from the deadly Category 5 storm and had filled several barrels and crates.
“In three weeks, we collected over, I’d say maybe $300,000 to $400,000 worth of stuff. That is food, equipment, tools. Everything you could need to go back and build houses and feed the people,” said Isaac Laird, another volunteer.
Peel Regional Police have confirmed that they attended the storage facility, adding they believe the theft occurred overnight.
Bennett said he was shown security footage captured by the company.
“This was the lock they cut off,” he said, adding the footage he saw shows a flat truck breaking through a locked gate and backing up to the storage unit.
The truck was loaded up before its driver left the area.
This all happened at around 5 a.m., he said.
“It’s hard to take. It’s hard to deal with, man,” Bennett told CTV News Toronto’s Rahim Ladhani on Wednesday afternoon while fighting back tears.
“It doesn’t matter about the stuff and all those things. The food is even more important than some of the other stuff that’s there, you know what I mean? What are they going to do with it here? Absolutely nothing, man. Absolutely nothing.”
Volunteers are now working with police, helping them with their investigation, and are vowing to remain strong and not quit in their efforts to help Jamaica.
“They ain’t gonna shake us. I think we’re gonna do better,” Laird said.
In a statement, Public Storage Canada said that it was “deeply concerned and saddened” to learn of the break-in and is committed to providing “meaningful assistance.”
“Our priority is to support and cooperate with law enforcement, including providing available video, to help identify those responsible and bring the perpetrators to justice,” CEO Troy McLellan said. “However, this cause is also close to our hearts, and Public Storage Canada is committed to making this right. Once we identify the appropriate organizers, we will work closely with them to determine how we may best provide meaningful assistance – whether through financial support, replacing lost goods, or other measures.”
For more information or to make a donation, email chaebennett@icloud.com.
