OLDS — The Olds Association for Community Living (OACL) has paid off a van it purchased to replace one that was burnt in a suspected case of arson.
Sharon Dietrich, the organization’s chief financial officer and human resources manager, says that’s due to about $10,000 worth of donations from residents, and a $5,000 cheque from the Olds Lions Club.
The remaining cost of the van, obtained via a deal from Hildebrand Motors, was covered through $7,500 from insurance.
OACL, located at 5025 51st St., is one of several organizations in the community that provide services for residents with developmental disabilities.
They were hit with break-ins three times in April, suffering damage to the building and equipment. Two break-ins occurred on April 5 and 16; then the agency's van and garage burnt on April 19.
OACL launched a fundraising campaign to cover costs not covered by insurance.
Now that the van is paid off, Dietrich told the Albertan any remaining funds that come in will be used to cover other damage the organization suffered, like broken windows and computers.
“We got a $100 cheque yesterday from a couple from Carstairs,” she said during an interview.
Dietrich said the insurance company considers the break-ins and damage to be three separate incidents so they’d have to pay $15,000 deductible, $5,000 for each incident.
Another expense through all this has been security.
After the second break-in, OACL had a steel door in an alarm system and cameras installed.
However, those cameras were all inside the building.
She said in the wake of the fire, they’re now looking at installing cameras on the exterior of the building.
Dietrich said once OACL is in a position to determine the future of the facility, rather than rebuilding the garage, they might use that space for another gathering space for the people they serve.
A structural engineer would have to assess to determine its safety and whether it’s worth rebuilding.
“A gathering spot for the individuals would be wonderful back here. But it depends whether they can get rid of the smell,” she said. “It’s going to all depend on what the structural engineer says.”
