NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Susie Vybiral was going for a run on Wednesday morning when she noticed a nonprofit organization’s warehouse area was trashed.
Vybiral said it was obvious that someone had gone through the dumpster and left trash thrown around the area. After calling the Comal County Sherriff’s Office, she made sure that the motion-detecting lights were working and the warehouse doors were locked, and then she continued with her day.
“The next day, we came out here and realized that tools were missing, wire was missing, and furniture for children that goes into their room transformations was missing. My gosh. A ton of stuff,” Vybiral said.
Room Redux was founded five years ago and serves children around the U.S. who have been victims of abuse.
“We have to make sure that we’re protecting children for their lives, and our children should have fun, happy childhoods, and so many of them don’t. One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. And that’s just what’s reported,” Vybiral said.
Now, Room Redux has expanded to help redecorate, refurnish, and repaint more than 300 bedrooms for children. Vybiral says the experience of having someone steal from a nonprofit organization that helps children has left her angry.
Those missing items cost tens of thousands of dollars, and Vybiral says that while the organization has insurance, it’s unclear to her how much of it will be covered.
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s sickening, but it’s not going to stop us,” Vybiral continued.
This weekend, the nonprofit managed to transform two additional rooms for a group of young sisters, using tools from friends and other volunteers.