A GoFundMe fundraiser for the Anacostia Playhouse has raised more than $8,500 as of Thursday afternoon after the theater was burgled on Christmas. More than 180 people have donated toward the $20,000 goal.

The Anacostia Playhouse has been at its current location in Southeast since 2013, but its predecessor, the H Street Playhouse, opened up in 2002.

Employees of the playhouse returned to work on December 26 to find that burglars stole two laptops, a tablet, and cash, according to an incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department. The burglars used crowbars to break into a locked metal cabinet and destroyed it. Nikki Peele, a Southeast resident who writes the blog Congress Heights on the Rise, says in her post that she started a GoFundMe after speaking with the executive director of the playhouse, Adele Robey.

“It feels like an extreme violation of everything we are and stand for,” Robey told the Washington Post of the burglary.

Peele says in her post that the money from the GoFundMe will be used to replace stolen and damaged items, as well as upgrade the playhouse’s security systems. The items stolen were valued at $1,700, plus an additional $500 in cash, according to the police report.

“I am a proud resident of SE and value the contribution theatre makes to community-building, education and resilience,” writes one donor on the GoFundMe page. “Thank-you for your work.”

Some of the stolen items appear to belong to Theater Alliance, a local theater company in residence at Anacostia Playhouse. Theater Alliance is also asking for direct donations to help them recover from the burglary.

The Anacostia Playhouse just turned five this August.