TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Theft At Apollo Beach Church Affects Thanksgiving

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 14, 2007

Updated: 11/14/2007 10:04 am

Video: Church Workers Tell Us What Happened

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

The trailer was taken between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday 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 more than 500 people attend the church but that she doesn't think a member would steal the trailer. She 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 passer-by 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 carry 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 already placed in the bags.

The food was to be distributed Tuesday from the Ruskin location to the needy people in the Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Ruskin areas.

"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.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT