On Wednesday, we learned $100,000 worth of items that were supposed to make the holidays a little better for some Orange County families had been stolen over the weekend.
The items included donated toys and food taken from a Garden Grove storage area. The items had been donated to the United Labor Agency of Orange County.
But the holiday spirit was revived Thursday after word of a generous outpouring of support from the community. Bill Fogarty, executive director of the United Labor Agency of Orange County, said he was on the phone throughout Wednesday taking calls from reporters and supporters who want to donate food and toys to replace what was stolen sometime between Nov. 26 and Nov. 30.
"Agencies are hurting all over this county for food and money," Fogarty said, "But it looks like the public is responding and will help us out... Sometimes out of a really bad thing, good things happen."
Malibu Fish Grill, which has restaurants in Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and Redondo Beach, is offering to give customers a free taco if they donate a canned good to replace what the United Labor Agency lost, Fogarty said. And Toys for Tots will visit at noon Thursday to drop off some replacement gifts, Fogarty said.
"They're bringing a 7-ton truck,'' he said. "I don't know where I'm going to put all this stuff, but if we get a lot of stuff it'll be a good thing. Maybe we'll have the Marines guard it."
Replacing the stolen items isn't the most pressing problem now -- it's where to safely store it, Fogarty said, adding the agency will either look to increase security at its storage space or find somewhere else to keep the goods until the holidays.
An employee at the storage site reported the break-in. The stolen toys were worth about $25,000. Authorities said the thieves took about 20,000 pounds of food.
The crooks also left with a BBQ grill and raffle prizes.
Anyone with information about the theft was asked to call 714-741-5704.
