My name is Sonia, and I’m raising funds to help my husband Joe rebuild after a heartbreaking theft that happened right outside our home 3 days ago.
On Monday, December 1st, at 4:15 AM, Joe’s work truck was stolen from right in front of our house. The thieves broke in, punched the ignition, and drove off within minutes. Inside the truck was over $10,000 worth of Joe’s carpentry tools — the very tools he depends on to support our family and to serve parishioners in our community.
This loss has devastated us on many levels especially around Christmas time!
Joe is a union carpenter with Local 405 and has always been someone who quietly helps others. When elderly parishioners at St. Maria Goretti or St. John Vianney need repairs they can’t afford, Joe shows up. When a family from our parish needs help, Joe brings his tools and gets to work. He serves without toil.
Earlier this year, Joe faced another hardship when he was misdiagnosed by Kaiser and was later told he has been living with early stages of kidney disease. He has been working to adjust to his health needs while still hoping to return to work. This was already an obstacle he had to overcome, but he stayed strong, hopeful, and determined.
Then came Monday morning — a moment we had been praying for.
At 7:00 AM, Joe received the long-awaited call from the union telling him he could finally return to work. After months of being laid off, this was the moment of relief our family needed. Joe was ecstatic. He grabbed his keys, got ready, and opened the front door to head out and prepare for his first day on Tuesday.
But instead of seeing his truck… there was an empty space.
We checked our Ring camera and discovered that at 4:15 AM, thieves had broken into his truck and stolen it — along with every single tool he owned — in just four minutes.
This truck also held deep sentimental value. It belonged to my father, who passed away in 2013. Losing it feels like losing a piece of our family history.
We filed a police report and contacted insurance, but unfortunately, the stolen tools are not covered. If the truck is found and considered undrivable, we may receive a very small payout due to its age. As of now, nothing has been recovered.
Joe has returned to work but now needs his own tools in order to continue working and providing for our family. Without them, he simply cannot perform the job he was called back to do.
We are raising funds to help Joe:
• Replace his stolen tools so he can continue working
• Work toward a replacement vehicle
• Rebuild what was taken from him
For anyone who wishes to donate tools instead of money, we created an Amazon Wishlist with most of the items that were stolen:
Amazon Wishlist:
We know this is a difficult time for many, and asking for help is not easy for us. But we also know that we are not alone and that God provides through community. Every prayer, every share, every donation — no matter the size — brings us one step closer to helping Joe rebuild and stay on his feet.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness, generosity, and prayers.
Please keep Joe and our family in your prayers as we navigate this difficult time.
With gratitude,
Sonia & Joe
*Update:
We want to share an important update with gratitude. Because of the incredible generosity and support from this community, we were able to replace Joe’s stolen truck so he can continue working. This was only possible because of the donations, prayers, and kindness we received — and we are deeply thankful.
While we were able to secure the truck, the financial impact is not fully behind us. Even with funds set aside, we now have a monthly truck payment and ongoing recovery costs as Joe continues replacing the remaining tools that were stolen.
We are no longer in emergency mode, but we are still in recovery. Any continued support helps us pay down the truck costs and finish rebuilding what was lost so Joe can keep working and supporting our family. Thank you for walking with us through every step of this journey.
**Latest Update:
We received news that Joe’s stolen truck was recovered in Oakland, CA , but it had been stripped and was inoperable. Insurance has officially processed it as a total loss. The settlement amount came to $1,700.
While this was hard to hear, we are grateful for some recovery and will use these funds toward the truck loan and the remaining tools Joe still needs for work.
Thank you for continuing to walk with our family through this long recovery. Your prayers, shares, and support mean more than we can express.