New A/C Units Installed At House Of Bread After Burglars Struck Last Month – Hartford Courant

The House of Bread soup kitchen fields a crowd every morning for breakfast, but Tuesday's group had a few new faces. And they came bearing gifts.

Workers from Marec Heating and Cooling and Neal Sign and Crane Service oversaw the installation of three new air conditioning units at House of Bread. The day shelter on Chestnut Street was full of hot air for nearly a month after burglars destroyed three of the industrial units, causing $30,000 worth of damage for scrap metal.

News headlines from the theft sparked an impromptu funding drive for House of Bread, which saw thousands in donations from various groups, according to Sister Theresa Fonti, the shelter's co-founder.

"It's a good feeling, getting so much support from the community," Fonti said Tuesday as a crane slowly lowered the shredded units onto a flatbed truck for disposal. "We're happy to be able to get our air back and continue our ministry."

The donated money helped close the funding gap for replacing the units about 80 percent of the cost was covered by the shelter's insurance policy.

And the new cooling system couldn't have come at a better time.

The two remaining air conditioners were working overtime, according to Matt Beard, the shelter's director. One blew a fuse last week, causing a brief panic in a kitchen that turns out about 200 meals a day for the city's homeless.

But the worrying is over. Now, Beard is focused on securing the units. He's already installed surveillance cameras on the building's roof and will be placing cages around the units to prevent similar thefts.

Meanwhile, city police are continuing their investigation into the thieves responsible.

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New A/C Units Installed At House Of Bread After Burglars Struck Last Month - Hartford Courant