Real-life Grinch steals gifts earmarked for needy families

A real-life Grinch has struck Catholic Charities Lake County.

The Waukegan charity that annually provides about 15,000 people in need with gifts around the holidays is scrambling to recover or replace hundreds of stolen items that had been earmarked for struggling families.

The items taken from a Lewis Avenue warehouse between January and May were to be a part of the organization's 2014 Christmas collection, said Jim Wogan, the agency's Christmas gift program coordinator. They were to be added to donations collected later this year and distributed to needy homes.

"It was a bunch of toys, clothing, and other things that we had left over from the previous year," Wogan said. "I'm sure someone walked in and just said 'jackpot' when they saw it all."

Cory Kelly of the Waukegan Police Department said the burglary investigation remains "open."

"I'd say, in total, it was about $5,000 in items that were taken," Wogan said. "It was all unopened gifts that were set up for distribution."

Catholic Charities distributes gifts collected by volunteers to about 15,000 families annually. Wogan said the holiday items are distributed in the final three weeks before Christmas.

It is not unusual for the holiday season to end with some items left over for a variety of reasons, Wogan said. Those items then are stored in the warehouse so they can be distributed the following year.

"We are starting out without that supply of gifts," Wogan said. "Our starting inventory has disappeared."

People interested in helping collect items this year can email Wogan at jwogan@catholiccharities.net, or call him at (847) 782-4210.

"It was the seed that we start the year with," Wogan said of the stolen items. "So, now we are starting from the beginning."

Gifts: $5,000 in items stolen