Transitions Family Violence Services — Shelter Operator Seeking Reopening Support
A brand-new emergency shelter in Hampton built to house 45 to 50 survivors of domestic violence won’t open this year after vandals broke in twice, stripped the building of copper piping and HVAC equipment, and made off with three commercial refrigerators. The nonprofit behind the project, Transitions Family Violence Services, now estimates repairs will cost between $250,000 and $300,000.
The damage at the North Star shelter was discovered as contractors and vendors were wrapping up work on the building in late spring, according to WAVY. Police say the vandalism took place sometime between May 30 and June 16, and a police report from that latter date found that copper piping connected to the air-conditioning units had been cut and multiple commercial-grade air-conditioning units had been removed entirely. The same report stated that two heat pumps on the property had been dismantled and stripped of their materials and components.
Thieves Returned for a Second Break-In
Shelter organizers say they were hit not once but twice. Lindsey Budd, the organization’s director of programs, said she noticed two TVs plugged in when she arrived to drop off donations, and later found the shelter’s security camera covered in shaving cream. She and Jondahlyn Holston, the group’s interim executive director, called police after discovering the security system had been destroyed…