RESEDA : Equipment Theft Brings Big Response
Two weeks after thieves made off with two VCRs that are crucial educational aids for severely handicapped children at a Reseda special education center, community donations have more than made up the loss, a school official said Wednesday.
“We’ve received an awful lot of calls from people in the community concerned that we suffered such a loss,” said Cecellia Simmons, principal of Lokrantz Special Education Center. “People who made donations said that things had been so good in life for them that they wanted to share with others. It was very heartwarming.”
Simmons said that since the July 21 burglary she has accepted three VCRs, cash and the promise of future assembly performances by a professional clown.
“It’s just so nice to know that the people really care about these kids,” she said.
The stolen VCRs meant that up to 20 Lokrantz teachers would have had to share only three of the machines that are crucial in reaching students who have short attention spans and do not respond well to traditional aids such as textbooks.
About 250 students from ages 3 to 22 attend Lokrantz, one of six Los Angeles Unified School District special education centers in the San Fernando Valley.
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