The Bellingham teenagers are all victims of theft.

But they're hoping the heartless crime won't also rob them of their futures.

When the director here at the homeport learning center in Bellingham arrived for work Wednesday morning, they found an open, broken door and thousands of dollars worth of tools gone.

Homeport Center Director Ralph Smallwood says they took "sanders, routers, drills, all that stuff that has a motor to it, completely empty."

All of the vocational school's power tools, drawers of screwdrivers, pliers and wrenches - plus a number of fishing rods - had been taken. Homeport Learning Center student Kyle Aardema says the theft has left them with nothing to do. "We can't build our own projects, “Aardema says, “we can't work on the boats, nothing, at all, so we actually need these tools to keep this school in progress."

The tools were not only used to build boats, furniture, oars.

They were used...to build LIVES.

The Homeport Learning Center is for "at risk" kids who have dropped-out of area high schools or been kicked-out.

Many of the 24 students have criminal records and their own parole officers.

But now, thanks to the special school, they have a hope for the future.

Homeport’s Smallwood says "85-percent of the kids that come through this door go back to high school, are successful, get a G.E.D or get a job, one of those three things."

Student Wendy Dalton has finished 14 wood projects and now has a plan, she says, thanks to Homeport, "I plan to go to college, I'm right now getting my G.E.D."

But Director Ralph Smallwood says he doesn't know how the program can go on without power tools.

So he's hoping the tools will either be found, or that others will be donated in their place. "I've seen miracles happen here, truly," he says.

If you know anything about who committed this crime, call Bellingham police. If you have any tools that you can donate, especially power tools, log onto the school’s website at www.homeportlearningcenter.com or call 360.755.8860.