Sin is no match for good will

Thief breaks into box at Braintree church

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff) The Rev. Dick Hotchkin counts donated pennies at a bank.

It was a small but disturbing act: A thief stole about $50 in pennies from a church. But the story doesn't end there.

The pennies were collected in a wooden box at the First Congregational Church of Braintree, and were used to feed the poor and homeless at Father Bills in Quincy.

The box is securely attached, so it's hard to snatch. But on Sept. 21, a thief used a knife or screwdriver to pry open the lid to get at the money. The box was made by a parishioner about five years ago after a fishbowl used for collections was stolen.

The box is a popular place for Sunday school children to throw in pennies. A sign notes that it's used to collect pennies for Father Bills, and the box has windows so people can see how much is inside.

Father Bills is a nonprofit that serves homeless men, women, and children. The church buys food and prepares a meal, which it serves at Father Bills, on the fourth Wednesday of each month, said Carole Morse, the church's administrative assistant. The meal is usually roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables.

The money, plus food donations, usually covers the cost of the meal, though food costs have risen, making it more difficult to make ends meet, said Morse.

The 300-year-old church, led by the Rev. Dick Hotchkin, also is the site of two schools, the Lollipop Tree Nursery School and the Step Ahead Kindergarten. The schools are at the opposite end of the building from where the theft occurred. The money was stolen on a Sunday afternoon, when that end of the building is usually empty.

Police said there has not been an arrest.

But the good news is that donations have picked up since the theft, said Morse.

"The response has been remarkable" since the theft was publicized, she said. "People have been coming out of the woodwork with pennies, I'll tell you." Donations have come from as far away as Mansfield and Stoughton.

Before the theft, the money would be taken out of the box about once a month. It usually amounted to $50 or $60, said Morse.

Now, the box is emptied daily to reduce the temptation to break in.

Matt Carroll can be reached at mcarroll@globe.com.