Habitat for Humanity volunteers spent more than a year building seven homes for disadvantaged families in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood.

In one night, a band of thieves managed to deflate their altruistic spirit.

Workers putting the final touches on homes at Whitney Young Circle and Hudson Avenue arrived one morning last week to find that burglars had looted 17 brand-new refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers, worth a total of more than $10,000.

Erin Colton, Habitat's site manager, has worked on the project since ground was broken in January 2009. "When you come that far and put that much work into these homes and into this community," she said, "it's heartbreaking. Defeating. Demoralizing."

Heartbreaking because the first homeowners are scheduled to move in next week. Defeating because this marks the second time thieves have sacked the site, and demoralizing because it's clear the burglars scouted the location for days, possibly weeks.

"Who steals from Habitat homes?" Colton asked. "If they knew what these homes were for and who they served ..."

3,000 volunteers

The nonprofit relies on volunteers and donations to build affordable housing for local residents in an attempt to "break the cycle of poverty through affordable homeownership." For the Whitney Young project, more than 3,000 local volunteers logged sweat equity.

Phillip Kilbridge, executive director of the local Habitat chapter, said he was hesitant to ask Whirlpool, which donates appliances to the homes nationwide, to supply replacements.

Site manager Colton said new appliances in boxes were stolen from garages of three of the homes late last year.

Thieves with expertise

This time, all the appliances were installed, but the thieves broke back windows to get inside and expertly detached gas lines to pull out the ranges.

They also removed dishwashers and refrigerators from their kitchen ports, and pulled out washers and dryers. Police believe the job would have taken several people using a moving truck at least an hour to pull off.

Kilbridge said he's been keeping an eye on Craigslist for the Energy Star model appliances. "We're hopeful they turn up, but we're not yet optimistic," he said. "We're hoping to find these appliances by the grace of God."

Habitat has lost other items at the Whitney Young Circle project. Burglars have plucked copper tubing and electrical lines, and vandals have thrown the occasional rock through windows.

Chasing a robber

Then there was the day volunteers took a lunch break across the street at Hilltop Park and watched a man jump out of a car, run into the tool storage container and run back out with a jackhammer under each arm. Volunteers dropped their sandwiches and chased the man, retrieving one of the jackhammers, Colton said.

"It's the worst part of the job," she said. "Everything else is great and inspiring."

Vale Larson, a laid-off architect in training, has spent about 30 hours a week volunteering at the Bayview site while he looks for a new job. He was covered in specks of paint Tuesday.

"As a volunteer, you have an investment in the home," he said. "And you feel sorry for the homeowner and their sense of security in the area."

Colton suspects someone familiar with the construction business played a role in the heist. The removal was too quick and clean for amateurs, she said.

She's not convinced the thieves live in the neighborhood.

"I'm really taken by how many neighbors drop by to say, 'You're doing a great job, keep up the great work,' " Colton said. "This is their neighborhood. ... But somebody who's looking to make a quick buck doesn't care who they're stealing from."