The Great Falls community has banded together after thousands of dollars' worth of construction tools were stolen from a Habitat For Humanity trailer on a job site.
Habitat For Humanity director Daniel Boyer stated that the theft had a substantial impact on the organization's capacity to continue working on affordable housing projects.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video here:
"Our mission statement is to put God's love into action by building homes, communities, and hope," Boyer told me. "We had our compressor, a generator, all of our cordless Milwaukee tools were taken, as well as numerous air nailers and things like that that we use for framing and finishing the projects that we're working on."
Boyer used Facebook to warn the community, and the response was fast.
Tool Box, a hardware company in Great Falls, was one of the first to respond. Jill Tranmer, the company's owner, jumped at the opportunity when she spotted the posting.
"Obviously, they made a public post about their tools being stolen. What better place — we are a tool store," Tranmer explained. "We wanted to make sure that we donated what they needed and wanted. Danny sent over a list of tools that were missing, and we did the best that we could to provide them with as many as we could.”
Other groups also provided equipment, timber, and funds, allowing Habitat for Humanity to recover swiftly. Tranmer saw assistance as more than just upgrading equipment; it was about reaffirming the communal ideals she believes in.
"I do believe that it takes a village to raise kids. Community has always been an important thing to me, and I will always to give back to the community that helps raise them," she stated.
Boyer said the support serves as a reminder of what is possible when people come together to help one another.
"Many hands make light work," he explained. "We have our builds and our ReStore downtown where anybody, all ages, can come and serve."
In Great Falls, the setback served as a dramatic reaffirmation of community, and the drive to keep building optimism continues.
