An organization dedicated to helping others is now in need of assistance itself. The Boys & Girls Club in Oakland was burglarized last week, with thieves stealing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of educational items used for after-school programs. The culprits went from room to room, taking all visible electronics. They utilized a construction bin to load up numerous TVs, iPads, computers, gaming equipment, and even hundreds of dollars worth of candy.

Currently undergoing a construction project, the club stated that nearly all the stolen items had been purchased within the last year. “It feels like two steps forward and four steps back. Every time we try to enhance our services for the kids, something happens. This is extremely disappointing,” said McCulloch. “We’ve worked hard to make our club a safe place for children to play.”

The Boys & Girls Club relied on these items to provide after-school programs in subjects like math, personal finance, and reading for 40 to 60 children. For the staff and the kids, the impact of the break-in extends beyond the material loss; it also leaves a lasting emotional impact. “The thieves have taken away our hearts,” said Tamikia McCoy, the club’s education director. “They’ve stolen the kids’ joy, and now we have to explain why they can’t relax at home. Everyone is on edge now.”

While police conduct their investigation, the community has raised over $10,000 to help replace the stolen items and implement new safety upgrades to the facility. Each dollar symbolizes hope for a stronger and safer future for both the community and the organization they cherish. “Everyone is coming together. I feel like Oakland is experiencing a rebirth, and it will take time, one moment at a time,” McCoy remarked.

Darnell McCulloch, who grew up at the Boys & Girls Club on International Avenue and now works there, noted that this is the first major break-in the neighborhood’s safe space has faced. “This place means everything. It has saved our lives, including mine. Without this club, I wouldn’t be here, and thousands of other kids wouldn’t be here either. It’s their safe haven, their second home,” he said. According to McCulloch, the thief or thieves cut through a steel gate to gain access to the building on the night before Halloween.