A good samaritan has stepped forward to donate $1,000 to Good Cheer following a burglary earlier this month where a thief got away with the food bank’s safe.

Good Cheer in Langley was burglarized Jan. 9 and the food bank’s safe was taken along with $1,000 in cash and a number of gift certificates to Pay-Less and Lind’s Pharmacy.

According to Good Cheer director Kathy McLaughlin, the gift came after Carol-Lee and Woody Hershman of Langley read about the burglary in The Record.

“Needless to say, it saddened us. We couldn’t believe someone would be so low to steal from the food bank,” Carol-Lee Hershman said.

McLaughlin said she is grateful to the Hershmans.

“We have covered our losses,” McLaughlin said. “We have a wonderful caring community here.”

The food bank has also received $250 in its donation box at the store.

The burglary apparently happened during the power outage sometime between closing time and when Good Cheer reopened for business the next morning.

New deadbolts have been installed on the store’s exterior doors and a new safe has been bolted to the floor in the Good Cheer office.

McLaughlin said it could have been an inside job.

“Someone could have hidden in the store Tuesday night when the power went out,” she said.

There were no obvious signs of forced entry on the exterior doors, but the office door where the the safe was kept was forced open.

Langley Police Chief Bob Herzberg said the thief used force to pry open the office door before the burglar grabbed the safe from inside a cabinet.

The safe was made by Century and was described as dark gray in color and 2 feet wide by 2 feet long. It has two locks; a combination and a key lock.

“Someone has a lot of money and gift certificates. We are asking the community for help,” Herzberg said.

Herzberg said police want to be notified if anyone finds the safe. Anyone with information should call Langley Police at 221-4433.