SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The vandal left shattered glass, but failed to shatter plans at Sacramento's Society for the Blind in Midtown.
Staffers discovered broken glass at the non-profit on Monday morning. Someone took rocks and smashed through both the front and back doors to the building's new annex, where participants were set for their first day of a retreat for seniors experiencing vision loss.
It is the second time in a matter of months the building has been vandalized or burglarized, forcing the non-profit to launch a fundraising campaign to make repairs and security improvements.
The glass doors will be boarded up at least a week.
Until repairs are made, the program for seniors will be displaced.
"We are a resilient bunch of people, and we have to take this, as much as we can, in stride," said Shari Roseler, Executive Director.
Roeseler said staff members, many who are blind themselves, moved the seniors to an upstairs room where they can maintain social distancing. However, it's a bit difficult for the participants who are losing their vision and learning how to live independently amid a pandemic.
They are learning new skills such as using a white cane, basic braille, and more. That's why the non-profit is launching a fundraising campaign to make repairs.
"Every bit helps to do all these repairs and get things back up and running fully again and we're so grateful the Sacramento community is very generous," said Roseler.
The Society for the Blind is looking to raise $26,000 to also add more security features to the building after this case of vandalism and theft in a matter of months. In July, one of its vans used to transport seniors to the center was stolen out of a car cage.
"They took the catalytic converter and destroyed the wheelchair ramp, so now we have to get a new van. And even with the insurance claim, it doesn't cover the cost of a brand new van," Roseler said.
Both cases are being investigated by the police department, she said.
It's been a tough year, but Roeseler said she's hopeful community members can lend a helping hand.
To learn more how to give, visit: SocietyfortheBlind.org
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