To the Editor:
H.I.G.H.W.A.Y.S. would like to take this opportunity to formally apologize to our neighbors and the community surrounding our property at the corner of Hobart and Linnet Streets. Over the past several months, we have had issues with individuals leaving donations after 5 p.m. and on weekends. While these donations are truly appreciated and needed, we are also aware that other individuals have made it a regular habit to stop by the Thrift Store at all hours of the night and help themselves to the items being donated. In many instances, bags are ripped open, items strewn about, and the parking lot becomes a huge annoyance to the neighbors.
We take this very seriously and in the future will be taking the following steps to try and deter individuals from both leaving donations after hours and people helping themselves to the donated goods during the night. First, several signs will be posted on the fence encouraging donors to drop off items only during store hours and on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Donations made after hours will be strongly discouraged.
Secondly, we will be installing a new gate that will close off our parking lot to those who show up at all hours of the night to go through the donated bags. We certainly hope that a gate will deter those from doing this, hence turning our parking lot into an unsightly mess and disturbing our neighbors.
We can only take steps to try and discourage this from happening and we apologize once again to our neighbors for any disturbance and chaos it has created for them. We only wish to continue to serve those in need and to do that with as little disturbance as possible to those in our neighborhood.
THE REV. GREGORY PEREZ
President & CEO