While many Greenville citizens were celebrating freedom, liberty and independence Tuesday, a couple of criminals took the liberty of breaking in the YMCA, ransacking the place and stealing approximately $750.

Around 5:30 a.m., Wednesday morning, Jean Miller, who opens the YMCA every morning, discovered the main office had been broken into and the place was a mess.

Amanda Phillips, the Greenville YMCA director, said she received the call from Miller telling her the place had been burglarized.

&#8220It just makes you feel bad,” Phillips said. &#8220You try to do good in the community and do something positive and this happens.”

&#8220What kind of person would break into, of all places, a YMCA?” she asked.

When Phillips arrived, the main office door had the glass broken out of it and the doorframe was splintered. Paper was everywhere.

&#8220It was like they were trying to make a mess for me to clean up,” Phillips said.

Although cash was missing, computers, monitors and other electronics were not disturbed.

The cash missing came from child-care payments and money in each child's personal envelopes.

&#8220It wasn't a whole lot of money but every little bit counts,” Phillips said.

Once the parents began arriving Wednesday morning, many of them could not believe what had happened.

&#8220All the parents were in shock and could not believe someone could do something like this,” Phillips said.

Even though the burglary happened while the YMCA was closed for July 4th, Phillips said she has made sure the children know the YMCA is a safe place for them to be.

&#8220 We've just made sure they know we're here to protect them and we're all here to take care of them,” she said.

Although it will take anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 to repair the damage done to the building, Phillips said it is the thought of knowing someone could do something like this to a place like the YMCA that bothers her the most.

&#8220It just makes you feel violated,” she said.