Over $5K Of Equipment Stolen From SC Garden Shop

ROCK HILL, SC (WJZY) - "I have to paint it," Jonathan Nazir noted.

No, it's not the final touch, but it's just the beginning.

"Right now we're just trying to get the place up and running," Nazir said.

Jonathan has a lot to do.

Nazir is the founder and CEO of Victory Gardens International; They are converting an old building in Rock Hill into a common area.

It is on the south side of a rocky hill, an area that has been overlooked for a long time.

"It's disappointing because of the type of work we're trying to do for the community and give back to the community," Jonathan said.

Last summer they planted a community garden on the old tennis court next to the kiosk. They have just built a greenhouse to grow produce for the food stalls.

“I know people thought we were crazy when we said we were going to plant a garden on an underused tennis court,” Jonathan said.

But before they could start, something happened.

"I looked at our shelves and noticed that our presentation boxes were missing," Jonathan said.

Your power cords are gone.

Also missing is the generator they used to run the greenhouse.

More than $5,000 worth of equipment was stolen in the week after Thanksgiving.

"We're still trying to figure out how they got it, but we've learned they went through one of our fences to get it," Jonathan said.

There is a small cut on the plastic near the generator. Since the cut is in the middle of the plastic, they will have to replace a large part of the greenhouse. It's an expense they didn't expect.

"It's two steps forward and one step back for us," Jonathan said.

It's definitely scary because the work is piling up.

"We're building a little outside, but it won't start until January," Jonathan said.

But he's still hopeful that despite February's problems, they'll still be up and running.

“It's part of this work that we do; There should be optimism," Jonathan said.