Food, computers stolen from Oak Cliff resource center

DALLAS - The Helping Hands Resource Center opens its doors at an Oak Cliff apartment complex to feed about 200 neighborhood children each week. But this week all the food is gone.

Over the weekend burglars broke into the non-profit’s converted apartment unit through the window and took just about everything – from the food in the pantry to the computers that were set up for community use.

"It hurts my heart I could see the people did such a thing are in desperate need. That's one of  my goals to make desperate people less desperate," said Dana Shehee, program manager

A big donor had just delivered $400 worth of food. The burglars took all of it, plus a few TVs, CD players and computers. Some of the only things they left behind were leftovers in the fridge, a few containers of Gatorade, a can of pumpkin pie and an old printer.

Shehee, a Dallas County Community College District police officer, started the program one year ago as away to mentor young boys. He showed up Monday morning with new food to try to restock the shelves.

There have been other break-ins, but this is the hardest the resource center has been hit. Shehee said it hurts, but it’s just another obstacle to overcome.

"Could only get what I could afford at the moment but it'll get us through for today," he said.