Burglars hit Fort Worth second-hand store that donates profits to domestic abuse shelter

A burglary of Berry Good Buys Resale Store, a second-hand store owned and operated by SafeHaven, an organization that helps domestic violence victims, left the shop short of over $1,300, in a time when money and donations are crucial.

Berry Good Buys, a donation-based retail store, typically gives domestic violence clients first pick at its merchandise for free, with any profit made in store put back into the abuse shelter, said Micah Thompson, the organization’s director of marketing.

“December is always our busiest month by far. I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but our shelters are always either at capacity, or over capacity, and this comes at a really unfortunate time for us,” Thompson said. “It was a large amount of money taken from the store and also, just the money that we’re losing as far as not being able to be open right now. It just comes at a really unfortunate time for families who are fleeing domestic violence and are really looking for a place to call home for the holidays.”

Fort Worth police responded to the store Sunday evening after a bystander reported that the front door of the business had been kicked in and glass was broken, police said. The store is typically closed Sunday, so the organization wasn’t aware of the break-in when it occurred.

“Nothing like this has happened in the four years that I’ve been here,” Thompson said. “Anytime you have money in a nonprofit that you’re expecting, then you aren’t getting, is tough. But especially in this time of year, when we’re so busy, and our families are really counting on us, it’s definitely a hardship for sure.”

Police are still searching for information on suspects and the investigation remains ongoing as the store remains closed to the public while the organization works on repairing damages. It’s unsure when the location will reopen, but Thompson said they’re still accepting monetary donations through their website and will be accepting toy and item donations at 1424 Hemphill St. in Fort Worth.

Gift lists from families, and children, are available on the shelter’s website.

“We’re always looking for typical hygiene donations. As you can imagine, most of our families come to the shelter with nothing but what they’re wearing, so we supply them with all of their daily needs — shampoo, conditioner, body wash, everything you could think of or what you would need on a day-to-day basis,” Thompson said. “But especially during this time of year, our families are going through some of the lowest points of their lives, so we really want to make sure the holidays are a very special time for them, especially for our kiddos.”

Anyone with information regarding the burglary should contact Fort Worth police.