Whitsunday Community Centre donations stolen from op shop

Less than 12 months after cash was stolen from a community op shop, video footage has captured a bunch of ‘pathetic’ and ‘selfish’ miscreants pinching donations.

Whitsunday Community Centre shared CCTV footage to Facebook of persons who had themselves to charity donations at their Cannonvale store. Picture: Facebook

Less than 12 months cash was stolen from a Whitsundays’ community op shop, CCTV footage has captured a bunch of “pathetic” and “selfish” miscreants pinching donations.

Whitsunday Community Centre executive officer Rebecca Goods shared photos to Facebook which revealed up to six individuals over recent weeks who had “rifl(ed) through all of the donations so they can find what they deem as worthy to take.”

Ms Goods said they had installed cameras and security at the Cannonvale centre to deter ongoing thefts but the attacks were “persistent”.

“The biggest issue that we have is the donations that we onsell in our op shop, money that we raised actually goes back into programs that support our community ... we wanted to call out to (the perpetrators on Facebook) and say there are other ways that you can get assistance, you don’t have to resort to stealing,” she said.

Whitsunday Community Centre shared CCTV footage to Facebook of persons who had themselves to charity donations at their Cannonvale store. Picture: Facebook

The centre runs myriad programs including food banks, toy drives, transferring Whitsunday residents to Mackay and Proserpine hospitals, and family support services to name a few.

Ms Goods said offenders had also graffitied their skip bin and the electrical substation at the end of Hazelwood Crescent, the incidents coming just months after their op shop was broken into twice last year.

In May 2023, an offender pried open their windows and security screens, and broke through several doors to steal $900 in cash.

“Then six weeks later, we had another incident that was believed to be the same person coming back through,” Ms Goods said, adding the perpetrator had stared straight into the CCTV camera.

“By this stage we had reinforced everything and there was no cash.”

Ms Woods said the thefts were disappointing with St Vincent de Pauls’ Airlie Beach op shop also feeling the brunt after criminals cut locks and busted open the charity bins.

It is understood police officers arrested those responsible for the Vinnies break-ins just before Christmas.

Ms Woods is hoping the public can now help find those targeting WRC and asked anyone with information to phone the police.

Christine Raymant commented on WRC’s post there were “some very low moral people around” and she was sorry the “disgusting behaviour” was happening to those who helped the community’s most vulnerable.

Linda Gill added, “Imagine being that pathetic. #embarassing.”

Originally published as Whitsunday Community Centre donations stolen from op shop