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Theft At Apollo Beach Church Prompts Giving, Thanks

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

TAMPA - Days after an Apollo Beach church's trailer was stolen with Thanksgiving food for the poor inside, the church has received more than enough food donations to rebound.

It also has received about $10,000 in donations, the church's senior pastor said Thursday.

"We're getting a lot of food, and we're getting money donations, and the community is just doing wonderful things for us," said Susan Klose, who works in community outreach for Calvary Lutheran Church. "It's just been overwhelming. I've lived here five years and never really knew how good this community was until now."

About 150 to 170 bags of food will be distributed Tuesday from the church's satellite property in the Ruskin area. That's how many would have been distributed before the theft, Klose said.

The distribution will allow poor people in the Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Ruskin areas to have food items necessary for Thanksgiving.

The church feeds about 150 to 200 families weekly, the Rev. Jack Palzer said, and the additional community donations this week could be used in future weeks as well to help the poor.

All financial donations will be used to feed the needy, Palzer said, and the church will try to figure out a separate way to get a replacement trailer.

"We know there's evil in the world and sin, that sin happens," he said. "But God always trumps that sin. And he not only trumped it, but we'll be able to feed so many more people this season than before."

Calvary Lutheran's trailer was stolen late last week or early this week from the Ruskin area location. The trailer, which still has not been recovered, is worth about $2,000. For the past year, it has carried food for weekly distribution to the needy.

When it was taken, the trailer contained 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, Klose said.

After the theft, church members worried it would be a struggle to get enough items to feed the poor.

"This theft is just so devastating to us," Maxine Zerr, a church community outreach worker, said this week.

Since then, East Bay High, Eisenhower Middle and Corr Elementary schools and a Riverview Moose lodge organized drives to help, and Publix donated more than 100 bags of food, Klose said.

Many people from the community have stepped in and donated food or money, and the word has spread about the church's community outreach work, she said.

"This negative thing has really turned into a positive for us," Klose said.

Those interested in donating food to Calvary Lutheran may call (813) 645-1305 or take food or contributions to the church, 5809 U.S. 41 N., Apollo Beach.

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

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