Bellport nonprofit moving forward after property vandalized
The incident came at a time when more people than ever are relying on nonprofits like this one to put food on the table.
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A busy Suffolk County nonprofit said it's moving forward after its building in Bellport was vandalized this week.
The Lighthouse Mission posted about the incident on social media, claiming someone threw paint and scattered nails throughout the parking lot and the road in front of their building after they closed Monday night.
Volunteers saw the damage when they returned the next morning, according to pastor Jim Ryan, who leads the nonprofit.
People with the nonprofit spent time on Thursday powerwashing off the paint and picking up each nail by hand.
Now they're ready to move forward.
"We focus on just forgiveness and perseverance," Ryan said. "We just forgive those who do these kinds of things to us and we just persevere and we move forward."
The incident left some Bellport residents scratching their heads.
"That's not right that people would do this to a place like this," Bellport resident Amedeo Tassino said. "I don't understand why. What would somebody be mad about at a place like this?"
The Lighthouse Mission feeds more than 2,500 people in the community each week, both at its Bellport headquarters and through mobile food distributions across Suffolk County.
The incident came at a time when more people than ever are relying on nonprofits like this one to put food on the table.
"We get right back to loading our trucks with food and clothes, so we can get out to bring those resources to the people across Long Island who are in need," Ryan said.
The Lighthouse Mission said the vandalism would not stop them from moving forward with their mission of serving the community.
Ryan said they did not file a police report because they aren't seeking to press charges.
