The owner of Earls Meat Market in Steinbach is praising the big hearts of a few young people from the community.

Earl Funk says after a week off work, he returned to his store Monday morning to find one of the front windows had been smashed. Funk says with police tape across the window, it was evident that RCMP had already been there to investigate. He then spotted a couple of cars on his parking lot and ventured over to see if the young people had seen anything unusual overnight.

Funk says the young people started to provide some details, stating the incident happened sometime between one o'clock and four o'clock and that RCMP had been there to check things out. He notes it was then that he started to put two and two together.

"They had been here pretty much the whole time, kind of watching the shop," says Funk. "Say what you want, there is good in everyone. I am very thankful that someone took the initiative to stay here and watch the shop."

Funk says from what he knows, it was possibly an SUV that knocked over a flower pot, smashing the window.

"How that all happened, what was intended, I don't know, I can't speak to any of that," says Funk. "But what I was impressed with is that they were actually right here at the corner, on my driveway, parked there and I guess waiting for me."

According to Funk, aside from the broken window, there was no other damage. He adds it is business as usual today and there was also nothing missing from his store when he walked inside. It is Funk's opinion that it was because of those Good Samaritans that there was no further damage.

"I think so," he says. "Just having cars here, probably keeps any kind of looters at bay."

He notes this is not the first time that civilians have protected his store overnight. He says every so often he will have people tell him that they chased away teenagers overnight who were hanging out near his compressors.

"It means a lot to me," he says. "There is lots of the negative of them gathering, but we can't forget that there is still inherently good in all people and there are those that really take care of our shop."