a day ago
Bench for the blind community honoring Helen Keller stolen in Stockton
A community celebration has turned into a call for justice after a special bench dedicated to the disabled community was stolen from behind the Maya Angelou Library in south Stockton, just weeks after its installation.
The ivy-green bench, honoring famed disability rights advocate Helen Keller, was unveiled in late June during a ceremony attended by local dignitaries, community leaders, and members of the San Joaquin Lions Club. Now, the bench is gone without a trace.
"I couldn't believe it," said Jennifer Gass, a leader of the San Joaquin Lions Club and an advocate for the blind community. "Who would do this to our disabled people, to our library? It's really discouraging."
Gass, who has been blind for years, helped spearhead the project through the Lions Club's "Bags for Benches" initiative, a program that recycles thousands of pounds of plastic to create environmentally friendly benches.
The bench carried a plaque commemorating the 100th anniversary of Helen Keller's 1925 challenge to the Lions Club International to become "knights of the blind." It symbolized not only a piece of history but a place of reflection and inclusion for the community.
"We had dignitaries from the city, the county, Lions International. Everybody enjoyed it and took pictures with the bench, and now it's not there," Gass said.
What's particularly puzzling is the nature of the theft. The original bench weighed nearly 40 pounds and was placed in a gated area behind the library, a space accessible only with a key. No suspects have been identified, and Stockton police say there is no surveillance footage capturing the theft. It's also unclear when exactly the bench was taken.
While a replacement bench has since been installed, the theft still stings for Gass and others in the disabled community.
"Traditionally, we're underrepresented in the arts. We just want to be included and have a presence, and it's been taken from us again," Gass said.
The city of Stockton has acknowledged the theft, and a police report has been filed. Authorities and the Lions Club are asking for the public's help. If anyone has information about the missing bench or plaque, they are urged to contact the San Joaquin Lions Club.
