JOYCE — A burglary at Port Crescent Trading Co. came at the worst time for storeowner Doug Schwab, he said.
But a growing community — from neighbors in Joyce to strangers in Seattle — has rallied around Schwab, donating to a GoFundMe page, sending emails and Facebook messages of support, and snapping photos of possible stolen items.
“I’m getting a lot of emails. The Facebook thing has spread like wildfire,” Schwab said. “The Facebook community has been outstanding.”
By Saturday, five people had donated a total of $200 to the GoFundMe page “Doug Schwab Burglary Relief Fund,” and 82 people shared the page on Facebook.
Burglars took at least $13,000 worth of Port Angeles historic relics, rare antiques, guns, knives and other items from the store sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
(An article published Friday stated $18,000 worth of property had been stolen. That figure included a box of 2,000 Poll Parrot Shoes certificates, which police overlooked during the initial count. Schwab recently found the box in a drawer.)
Schwab’s friend Benjamin Gross created a GoFundMe page to support Schwab following a string of unfortunate circumstances: first, a pressure sore that kept Schwab hospitalized and the store closed for several months, and then a burglary that stripped his inventory.
“The recent burglary has put Doug’s business and well-being in dire straits. This theft could not have possibly happened at a worse time,” Gross wrote. “We created this GoFundMe page to reach out to the community and ask for help in relieving Doug’s financial burden.”
Schwab has been paraplegic since a motorcycle crash when he was 22 years old. Working long hours, stocking shelves and bustling around Port Crescent Trading Co. the past few years took a toll on his body and played a role in his hospitalization.
“I basically worked myself to death,” he said.
Although $200 is a far cry from $13,000, donations mean more to Schwab than financial support alone, he said; they mean “moral support,” too.
And not all donations are readily apparent. Schwab said he was several months behind in rent, but his landlord has pledged to forgive some of his debt.
“It’s sad that it only takes a few bad guys to offset the good vibes and good energy,” he said. “This shows the good.”
Despite his losses, Schwab doesn’t plan to close shop anytime soon.
“I don’t want to throw in the towel,” he said. “It’s not the time to close the store.”
________
Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsula dailynews.com.
