When Greater Sayville Food Pantry director Charlene Lehman entered the Gillette House last Thursday, she was greeted with a back window that had been smashed through, glass shards on the floor, and a $250 contribution in cash missing in the till.

It’s the first time the Greater Sayville Food Pantry has experienced stolen cash, said Lehman.

Police tape was strung across the walkway, early on, but patrons were allowed to go through.

“The money came in the day before, and I was going to put it in the bank and buy the gas cards for our clients. We also help people with utilities and phones. The money till was locked in the file cabinet,” Lehman said. “We have so many working poor and try to help so they can keep their jobs.”

Lehman said 20 families came on Wednesday; Tuesday, there were 24. “We had about 10 come on Thursday; police said they would escort them in until noon. We’ll open again Jan. 7. That’s why it was important for us to be open [Thursday], so people could stock up.”

Lehman said another envelope with cash wasn’t taken. Neither were food pantry items. “It was the craziest thing—there was another envelope with money in it,” she added.

“We had a detective come in—she was terrific. She was going to go across the street to Collins Avenue to see which residents had cameras. They took a list of the families who came in Tuesday and Wednesday.”

In a statement from Suffolk County police: “Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad Detectives are investigating a burglary that occurred in Sayville. Someone broke the glass window of a building on Gillette Ave. in Sayville. They pried open a file cabinet and stole cash and gift cards. The incident was reported on Dec. 19 at 9:11 a.m. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the burglary to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.”The window is boarded up right now. Lehman said Islip Town would put in a new window. “We’ll ask for cameras,” she said. On Friday, Lehman was waiting for a call from the town; the person she was to deal with wasn’t in until Monday after the New Year.

Islip Town did not respond for comment at press time.

Lehman said she called Islip deputy commissioner for the Department of Public Works Tom Kahl, who worked on Gillette House’s renovation.

“He had the town come up with the plywood on Thursday; they had to wait for the detective first,” she said. Lehman added that Kahl cautioned her about cleaning up the glass, then grabbed a broom, swept up the shards, and made some calls. “We had a lot of action right away,” she said. “The Park Police had to stay there until the plywood was installed. (The food pantry closes at noon) “I went back at 1:30 p.m. and it was all done.”

“It was in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet,” Lehman said of the cash that was taken. “They took some envelopes out (but nothing more than the $250). The police had the same questions. It was strange. If you stand outside, the window was high. If you had a truck, would you break into a food pantry to steal money?”

Lehman said her blotter was in another area and her desk chair had been moved.

“We’ll open up again on Jan. 7. The surprising thing is they didn’t steal food or mess up the pantry.”

Lehman emphasized that times were tough. Besides the patrons who come in, there is a group of about 25, who don’t use the food pantry, who come in every two or three weeks just to chat with the volunteers.

“They used to come in with two or three shopping bags,” she said. “Now they’re coming in with a bag and a half because of prices and that’s all they can afford.”

To make contributions to the Greater Sayville Food Pantry, their address is 47 Gillette Avenue, Sayville, NY 11782.