Clothing thieves grab donations from Northland Clothing Center in Clay County

KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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Thieves are stealing clothing donations from the Northland Clothing Center in Clay County.

Surveillance cameras recently captured a woman walking away with donation bags.

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Northland Clothing Center Executive Director Marjie Siegfried-Stuber said the woman has been caught on camera numerous times.

Following a Facebook post by Siegfried-Stuber, the woman was identified.

Siegfried-Stuber said thieves hit the center three to four times a month.

They have even found ways around donation drop boxes at the center.

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"People found a way to crawl into that hole, into our shed to steal from us," Siegfried-Stuber said.

Siegfried-Stuber said the thefts happen when people leave donations outside and the center is closed.

Employees plan to meet with police Thursday.

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The thefts come as the Northland Clothing Center has seen an uptick in clients who need help with back-to-school clothing.

Christina Paretta, a Head Start family advocate who refers families to the center, said the need is growing.

"A lot of parents do need clothing for their children and themselves with everything increasing in price, and kids grow very fast," Paretta said.

Siegfried-Stuber's message to the public is simple.

"Please don't leave donations for organizations when they're not open," Siegfried-Stuber said. "That's the bottom line."

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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