CHARITY CANCELS OUT BAD FORTUNE
BREAK- IN victim Barbara Bryden can sleep better after she was able to get her car and purse back with the help of the community.
Thieves entered Mrs Bryden’s home in the early hours of Saturday morning after she left her door open to let her cat Petrix out.
Mrs Bryden’s car, purse and house keys were stolen.
The Mount Louisa pensioner, known by friends and family as Hannah, lives on $ 600 a fortnight and faced the prospect of having no money to pay for food.
Despite being a victim of crime, Mrs Bryden ( pictured) still had to pay to have her car towed, home locks replaced and to buy new car keys.
But the community rallied to Mrs Bryden’s aid, slashing the prices of their services.
“I’m just so, so grateful,” Mrs Bryden said.
“I did sleep better, things are going back to normal.”
She said ABC Towing took off $ 100 from the $ 375 towing fee for retrieving her car from where it was dumped in Heatley, while Affordable Locksmiths NQ slashed $ 1000 off her replacement car keys, re- ducing the expense to $ 300. “I can now get some groceries for the rest of the fortnight,” Mrs Bryden said.
“I’ve had three calls from people wanting to do my keys for the car. “It’s been overwhelming.” She said her purse, holding her licence and other identification, was found in her car.
Heatley resident Garry, who did not wish to be identified further, donated $ 250 to Mrs Bryden.
While Mrs Bryden had arranged to get her locks changed and car keys replaced, she said the money would go a long way in helping pay back her vet loan after Petrix was attacked by a neighbour’s dog and had to have its leg amputated.
Garry said it was wrong that victims of crime had to pay to get their belongings back.
“A poor old pensioner is left out of pocket for half her pension ( getting her car back),” he said. “It stinks.”
Garry said he was a pensioner himself but had a bit of “spare cash” he wished to give Mrs Bryden.
“I’m doing it to help a fellow human,” he said.
Thieves had previously broken into Garry’s home and stolen an iPad and gaming device. He said the break- in and a number of attempted burglaries had left him “quite paranoid”.