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Hobbs VFW recovering from burglary

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The Hobbs Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3274 has reached its fundraising goal, but that doesn’t mean the fundraising has to stop.

The post was burglarized and vandalized during the state’s mandated shutdown due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. A fundraiser started on social media recently with a goal of raising $2,500. As of Monday, $2,685 was raised.

According to the fundraiser’s social media post, “Inventory was taken and that will hinder us from opening once the governor allows us to open. Money was stolen from the canteen along with money that (was) raised to make repairs to the building.”

As with many other businesses and non-profit organizations, the coronavirus shutdown is playing havoc with the VFW post keeping up with the bills.

“It’s not just the damage; it’s the fact we have to be closed. So, we have no income coming in, but we still have the bills coming in,” VFW Quartermaster Karen Brock said. “That’s why we can’t afford to give up that $2,500.”

The damage included broken doors and stolen liquor.

“They broke in the back. They busted in three doors. One of them was in our liquor cabinet area. They took $5,000 worth of booze — beer and alcohol. They stole, I think they counted 23 cases of beer,” Brock said. “They broke into my office, the quartermaster’s office, and stole all the receipt money I hadn’t deposited yet, along with some donations, besides going through other areas, searching everything, leaving stuff all over the floor and everything.”

Results of a police investigation are still being awaited.

“(Police officers) were able to get some fingerprints. I don’t know whether they were useful or not. They got some footprints left on the doors where they had kicked the doors open,” Brock said. “They found a cigarette butt in the kitchen and asked if it was ours and we said no, we don’t smoke in the kitchen and we sure don’t put cigarette butts on the floor.”

Asked when she thinks the post will open again, Brock, herself a veteran of the Vietnam War, said, “Not until the governor lets us.”

Though the fundraiser has reached it’s goal amount, contributions can still be made. Brock suggested using the link to GoFundMe on Facebook, call her at 575-318-4139 or send a check to VFW Post 3274, 609 W. Alto St., Hobbs, NM 88240.

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