Good Samaritan Changes Church's Misfortune

Just an hour after sharing the story of the Presbyterian Church of Coventry, a good Samaritan came forward to help the church overcome its misfortune.

On Sunday, thieves broke into the building.

"They broke into this office. You can see they hammered away at the key, the lock where the frame was," Pastor Brad Evans said as he showed the damage left behind.

They stole a laptop and blank checks. But what is most disturbing is that they stole more than $200 that the Bible school students collected for an orphan named Ruth who lives in India.

"They brought in coins each day. Each day we would have a contest to see what kids could bring in the most. We divided it up, like Yankee, Red Sox fans, and who has pets, who doesn’t have pets," said Mark Popovitch, one of the directors of the Vacation Bible School.

When the owners of Statewide Home Improvement saw the story on NBC Connecticut, they immediately wanted to help and wrote a check for $218.

"It just kind of gets you in the heart when you see something like that, showed the poor girl up on the TV. You know, someone needed to do something. I figured we were in a good position so we did," said Maximillian McQuillen of Statewide Home Improvement.

The check replaces the money that was stolen from the church, so now the students have enough money to send to Ruth in India.

"I'm truly touched by the generosity of people within an hour of hearing about the story. Words can't express my gratitude. The outpouring of love and concern is beyond what I ever expected to happen with this newscast," said Amy Hauser, another director of the Vacation Bible School.

NBC Connecticut has received several calls from people wanting to donate. The church says all donations will go to Ruth or other children in India. If you'd like to donate, you can contact the church at 860-742-7222.

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