Law firm donates $1K to charity, replaces stolen chairs

A community steps up. Donations and offers to help are flowing into a charity after a “Grinch” struck over the weekend. A thief stole two chairs. Now, a law firm is getting into the holiday spirit to lift up a neighbor.

A crook was caught on camera stealing two rocking chairs off the porch of Valerie’s House in Fort Myers, a charity that helps kids dealing with the loss of a loved one.

SEE: if you can identify thief who steals chairs from Valerie’s House.

The law firm Henderson Franklin found out and decided to give back to the charity Thursday.

“We’re just so overwhelmed with the generosity of support,” Program Director Amy Strom said.

They weren’t just any chairs, they were the place where a big, stuffed teddy bear would sit to greet the kids each time they visited.

“So after the story, we’ve had this generous outpouring of offering support from our community” Strom said.

The charity said more than 50 people called or emailed in support, including Bob Shearman and Gail Lamarche from Henderson Franklin, who were informed about the burglary at Valerie’s House and immediately waned to provide outreach support.

“I heard the story on the news, and several of us got together and exchanged some texts and emails,” Shearman said. “‘This is horrible, what can we do, somebody ought to do something,’ and we decided that we should be that somebody.”

The law firm personally delivered flowers, wreaths and most importantly two new rocking chairs that are now secured to the porch, so they can’t be stolen again.

The law firm went further than just the replacement of the charity’s stolen chairs.

“And with the help and generous hearts of 30 attorneys and staff, we’re also going to give them over $1000 donation in cash to help towards having a merry Christmas and helping getting that fence built for them,” Lamarche said.

A cornerstone of the charity and the holiday spirit is revitalized at Valerie’s House, as their beloved bear is back in its rocking chair telling stories in time for the holidays.

“It may just seem like ‘Oh, this is just a rocking chair,'” Strom said. “But I know to our families, it’s so much more than that.”