DETROIT – An urban farm on Detroit's east side dedicated to lifting up the community is asking for help.
Recovery Park on Chene, a 105-acre farm that helps feed the homeless and hires former inmates to rehabilitate them, had $25,000 worth of equipment stolen in the middle of the night.
Anna Kohn, the chief impact officer for Recovery Park, said the theft happened overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
"All of the equipment that we use to maintain those properties was stolen," Kohn said.
All the equipment was taken in a matter of minutes, she said.
"This was a very quick operation," Kohn said. "This is someone who knew what they were doing."
The thief avoided security cameras and cut through the back fence, officials said.
"Then picked our lock to get into our shipping container where we keep all of our equipment," Kohn said.
Now the organization is in a major bind.
"It's just really disappointing that an organization that really strives to be part of a neighborhood and enhance the livelihood and the landscape has to experience stuff like this," Kohn said.
Recovery Park is working to fix what was broken.
"We're repairing the fence," Kohn said. "We're doing what we have to do."
Kohn said she hopes whoever is responsible realizes they stole from a nonprofit organization.
"You didn't just take from a nonprofit," Kohn said. "You took from a neighborhood and you're reducing our ability to keep the neighborhood beautiful."