Christian school recovers after vandals hit

Vandals ravaged a Christian school in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. over the Memorial Day weekend, leaving behind more than $50,000 in damages.

All of the Showers of Blessings Christian Academy’s 10 classrooms were damaged. The Sun Sentinel reports all of the school’s windows were shattered, graffiti was written on the walls, bookcases and desks were overturned, laptops and toilets were also broken. Every window in the school’s bus was also smashed.

Classes were canceled on Tuesday, so teachers and staff could clean up the mess.

“We had to cancel because we had glass everywhere,” Britnay Ewald, the school’s director told the Sentinel. “None of the classrooms were ready for a learning environment or instruction.”

Even the school cafeteria did not escape the vandals’ attack.  Food was thrown around the room and all of the milk in the refrigerator was poured out on the ground.

“We built this for our community, our kids, and just to see it destroyed this way is very heartbreaking,” Ewald told Miami television station WSVN. “We’re just trying our best now to cope to see where do we go from here.”

The academy currently has 136 students enrolled from kindergarten through the 10th grade.  Students attend the school for free as a neighborhood alternative offered by a local church.

Tyson L Brooks, worship leader and media director at Agape Worship Center says Showers of Blessings Christian Academy is a ministry of Agape Worship Center located in Fort Lauderdale.

“Through this tragedy, we know God has something on the other side of this test,” Brooks said in a Facebook post. “Though our faith be tried we will remain faithful. SOBCA really does love these children OUR children and won’t stop giving them the love they need.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the costs of rebuilding the school.