A nonprofit tutoring center in Antioch announced Monday that it’s holding a fundraiser after it was broken into last week and multiple computers and other vital equipment were stolen.
Sometime between Thursday and Friday, the RR Learning Center at 512 W. Second St. in Antioch was broken into, according to an update posted Saturday on the nonprofit’s Facebook page.
During the burglary, all 40 of the organization’s Chromebooks, a personal computer, livestream equipment and other devices used for teaching were stolen. The nonprofit’s Executive Director Sandro Trujillo said the estimated value of everything lost was $18,000.
The nonprofit started during the coronavirus pandemic and offers services like afterschool and summer tutoring, job readiness workshops and food and clothing distribution. They teach over 250 students in four locations across Antioch and Pittsburg. The equipment kept at their Antioch Learning Center was used at all their locations.
“We try to bring not just tutoring,” said Trujillo. “We try to bring hope, opportunity and just to teach them that sky’s the limit. When these people came in and stole our Chromebooks, they’re not stealing from me, they’re stealing from our kids. And that’s what really, really hurts.”
The Chromebooks were donated by the Antioch Rotary Club and the Leo Fontana Family Foundation. In addition to tutoring, they are used daily for homework assistance, job readiness training, reading support and educational workshops.
Trujillo said he is hoping to speak to city officials about the unlit public parking lot behind their building, which could have made it easier to break into the back door.
The RR Learning Center fundraiser is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday and they will sell tacos, drinks and raffle tickets. They are hoping to make enough money to replace the lost equipment in the next 10 days — before their summer tutoring program begins.
“When these people came in and stole our Chromebooks, they’re not stealing from me, they’re stealing from our kids. And that’s what really, really hurts.”
Sandro Trujillo, nonprofit’s executive director
“It takes more than something like this to keep us down,” said Trujillo. “We’re here for our community and we’re all coming together to try to replace what was stolen and repair some of the damage.”
The nonprofit has asked that anyone who saw anything suspicious near the Learning Center between Thursday and Friday or notices anyone attempting to sell Chromebooks to contact them or local law enforcement.
