Community Saves Family Night After Naugatuck Church Burglarized

NAUGATUCK, CT — A break-in at Grace Lutheran Church threatened to cancel a planned family fun movie and pizza night for the Salem Community Child Care preschool until something amazing happened.

Tammee Gardiner, who is the parish administrator at Grace Luthernan, confirmed that someone broke into the church on Salem Street over the weekend and stole money from the Salem Community Child Care preschool.

The children had a bake sale and raised $411 for a family fun movie and pizza night. The stolen money put the event in jeopardy.

But the community quickly stepped up and raised even more money than was initially stolen.

"The good news is that we already have raised enough money to replace what was stolen plus a little more," Gardiner said. "The church members and the Boy Scout troops that meet at the church have stepped up and made some kids very happy."

The children decided at the beginning of the summer on what they wanted to do and how to raise the money, according to Gardiner.

Because the funds have been replaced, the daycare will hold a family night next Wednesday night, complete with a bouncy house, outdoor movie, pizza and snacks, Gardiner said.

"It was more than we ever expected," she said. "We were just hoping to replace a little of the money so the kids could do something at the end of the year. Instead, they get to have the night they deserve after working so hard to earn the money in the first place."

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