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Trailer Full Of Food Stolen From Apollo Beach Church

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 13, 2007

An Apollo Beach church's trailer filled with Thanksgiving food for the needy has been stolen.

The trailer was taken sometime between Sunday afternoon and this morning from Calvary Lutheran Church's satellite property in the Ruskin area. A broken lock was found on the property.

"It's so unbelievable that somebody would do this," said Susan Klose, who works in community outreach for the church.

Klose said she wasn't sure who would take it.

"I would definitely think they stole it for the trailer, not even knowing the food was even in there," she said. "But then again, you don't know. Someone might have been a passerby on Sunday and saw us putting food in the trailer."

The trailer alone is worth about $2,000, Klose said. For the past year, it has been used to transport food for weekly distribution to the needy.

When it was stolen, the trailer was filled with 85 to 100 bags of Thanksgiving food, including cans of vegetables, yams and cranberry sauce. Bulk food such as canned meat and other canned goods also was in the trailer.

The bags each held about $20 worth of items, she said.

Thankfully, she said, $10 gift certificates for turkey or other types of meat weren't placed in the bags.

The items were to be distributed Tuesday from the Ruskin area location to the needy people in the Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Ruskin area.

"This theft is just so devastating to us," said Maxine Zerr, who works in community outreach for the church, which has more than 500 members.

Those interested in donating food to Calvary Lutheran, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend, can call (813) 645-1305 or bring food or contributions to the church at 5809 U.S. 41 N. in Apollo Beach.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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