Charity shop owner urges thief to do ‘right thing’ after €200 was taken

A CHARITY shop owner is appealing for the return of vital funds from their cash box following a shocking theft that has left her both “hurt and reeling”.

Fiona Corcoran from the Greater Chernobyl Cause is urging the customer who stole more than €200 from a cash box kept behind the counter “to come forward and do the right thing”.

The charity founder, who set up the organisation in response to the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl and also helps victims of war located in Cork and Ukraine, said they are willing not to press charges if the cash is returned in an envelope. This can be done either anonymously or in person at the Merchant’s Quay store.

Gardaí had been assisting Fiona following the theft which occurred last Saturday at 3.40pm. However, the culprit has yet to be identified. Ms Corcoran said their concern is more about the principle than the amount of money that was taken.

“As a charity, we try to help people so our first thought was that the person who did this might need help too,” she told The Echo. 

“This is the first time we have encountered anything like this. What’s ironic is that this is happening at a time when we need the funds more than ever. €200 might not sound like a lot to some people, but it could potentially feed an elderly couple for four weeks in war-torn Ukraine. The amount could also feed a family in Ukraine for three or four days.”

She described how vital the store is to the charity.

“The shop is our main source of funding at the moment so we were very upset to think that someone would steal from it. 

"We operate on a shoestring budget in a place that is run by volunteers so everyone is really saddened by what happened.”

She hopes that the thief will come forward in time.

“They can ring us and make the donation anonymously if they wish or hand it back in an envelope. We are willing to forgive if this person would just come forward”.

Gardaí confirmed they are investigating.

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