Unwavering, that is, until he and his siblings became involved with Lancaster Area Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, a nonprofit restorative justice organization that brings crime victims and their juvenile offenders together to make amends, provide closure and prevent further offenses.

"I had never heard of LAVORP before," Kline said. "But they really changed my mind about the legal process. We've all screwed up. We all deserve a second chance."

The Klines' experience with LAVORP was so profound that on Dec. 21, Kline's Services donated $3,500 to the faith-based organization.

"It's a very important program," Kline said. "The work they do benefits the entire community."

In late 2001, Kline arrived one morning at Kline Services in Salunga and discovered one of the company's trucks was missing.

"It was gone," Kline said. "I called everyone in the company, asking if they had taken it out. No one knew where it was."

Finally, after determining it had been stolen, Kline called police, who began an investigation.

"The next morning I come in and the truck's there, parked in a different spot," Kline said. "The fender was busted up, the fuse box had been yanked out, the door handle had been pried off, and it looked like it had been taken through a field."

The truck was otherwise clean, but underneath the seat, Kline found what proved to be the smoking gun.

"I found a magazine with the kid's name and address on it," Kline said. "I said, 'Aha! I got ya!' The police tracked him down, and he admitted it."

The 15-year-old boy, who lived in a neighborhood adjacent to the business, had taken the vehicle for a joyride to New York City with another teenager.

Kline's sister, Marsha Kline-Cooper, said it is still unclear why the teenager chose New York as a destination.

"Bored, I guess," Kline-Cooper said. "It turned out he really didn't have the best home life. He was a good kid; he just made some bad decisions. It was pretty clear he was just looking for attention."

At the preliminary hearing before District Judge David E. Brian, the youth's mother "didn't side with him," Kline said.

"This kid used to laugh at me and give me the finger," Kline said. "His mother said she wanted to see him prosecuted, too."

A few days later, LAVORP board chairman Bill Eckenrode called. That's when the Klines began to soften.

"He said, 'I think I can work with this kid,'"ˆ" Kline said. "He said, 'I can't make you do it. He would still get a fine and have to pay you back. But he would get a job and some direction in his life.'"ˆ"

If the teen quit his job or failed to live up to his obligations in any way, Eckenrode said, he would forfeit his involvement in the program and return to the standard penal process.

The Klines said they were apprehensive at first but agreed to have one of their employees, Paul Cramer, meet with the teenager face to face.

"Paul is a retired military police officer and a former West Lampeter Township police officer," Kline said. "He kept telling me, 'Don't back down, John,' and 'You got to stick to your guns, John.'"ˆ"

But after meeting with the young man, Kline said, Cramer did a complete about face.

"He said at one time the kid wanted to be in the military," Kline said. "Well, that was it for Paul."

The Klines agreed to participate in the program, but at Cramer's request, they did so on one condition: The teenager had to check back with the company in a year so they could see how he was doing.

"When that kid called and made contact on his own, that marked a turning point for everybody," Cooper-Kline said.

"To this day, I still see him on the street," Kline said. "Now he waves to me, and we smile at each other."

LAVORP executive director Jon Singer said the youth has kept his promise to repay the Klines and also has kept his nose clean since completing the program.

"We look for people who are remorseful," Singer said. "We look for people who want to be held accountable, learn the impact of their actions and are willing to make amends. In this case, we were very pleased."

Each year, Kline's Services offers a promotion to its customers: Fill out a feedback survey card, mail it back and the company will donate $2 to a local charity.

This year, the promotion raised $3,500, Cooper-Kline said. Previous beneficiaries were Water Street Rescue Mission and Milagro House. This year, the Klines decided LAVORP would get the money.

Singer said LAVORP's annual budget is about $100,000, most of which comes from supporters like foundations, religious congregations, individuals and businesses. Raising money can be difficult, he said, because that is not the organization's goal.

"With cuts in federal and state juvenile block grants and human service development funds, we cherish every $5, $10 and $15 contribution we get," Singer said. "We're projecting a slight deficit next year. A donation like the one from the Klines is indescribable."

Justin Quinn's e-mail address is jquinn@lnpnews.com