Thieves vandalized a Habitat For Humanity project in Stoughton over the weekend – a home slated to go to a family with a special needs child – making off with an estimated $3,000 worth of equipment and delaying the project’s completion.

According to South Shore Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Martine Taylor, the home is 75 percent complete, but this recent setback will have a domino effect, delaying completion of both the Stoughton home and other projects in the pipeline.

"We have lost a compressor, nail guns, chop saw and cords, and additionally whoever did this vandalized the basement with paint," Taylor said in a statement. "We had hoped to get this completed shortly after the New Year. This is a wonderful family, with a child who has special needs, and we want to assure them of getting into the home as quickly as possible."

Taylor said she hopes the community can assist with donations so the group can purchase replacement equipment for what was stolen. Boston-based Eastern Bank said in a statement that it plans to donate up to $5,000 to help replace the stolen goods. A group of Eastern Bank employees helped build the home during a Nov.1 volunteer day organized by the bank and South Shore Habitat for Humanity.

"Eastern Bank was devastated to learn about this senseless act," Eastern Bank President Bob Rivers, a Stoughton native, said in a statement.  "It’s our hope that this donation replaces what was lost and allows the family to move into their new home as planned."

Taylor also cited a need for the assistance of an alarm company to help prevent these types of incidents in the future.

To date, $97,995 has been raised for the Stoughton project. The family selected for the home has a significant need for affordable housing, the group said. The father works two jobs, while the mother stays at home and cares for three boys – the youngest of which suffers from Muscular Dystrophy and is unable to walk. The family’s current living situation is not handicapped accessible. The new home will feature doorways wide enough for a wheelchair, a handicap-accessible bathroom and a wheelchair ramp.

For more information, visit http://www.sshabitat.org/ or call 781-337-7744, x17.