Thanksgiving donations disappear

By MIKE BRASSFIELD, Times Staff Writer
Published November 14, 2007

RUSKIN - For weeks, the members of Calvary Lutheran Church had been collecting Thanksgiving food to hand out to needy families: canned yams and veggies, stuffing, cranberry sauce and other holiday treats.

They had 125 bags of it. But on Tuesday, it was all gone.

A trailer containing the stockpile of food was stolen from church property on College Avenue in Ruskin, where it operates a food pantry for the poor.

"Somebody decided they wanted the trailer," said Paula Sabo, a longtime church member and volunteer. "They sure left a lot of people who are going to be hungry next week."

The 12-foot-long covered trailer disappeared sometime between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning. A broken lock was found on the property, sheriff's officials said.

Calvary Lutheran, which distributes food each Tuesday to needy people in Apollo Beach, Ruskin and Wimauma, had planned to give them something extra next week for the holiday.

The church figures it lost $2,000 to $2,500 worth of food, as well as its $2,000 trailer.

The challenge now: to start over and replenish the supply.

Fast facts

You can help

Anyone with information about the missing trailer is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.

Anyone interested in donating food or money to the church can call (813) 645-1305, or bring or mail it to Calvary Lutheran at 5809 U.S. 41 N, Apollo Beach, FL 33572.

[Last modified November 14, 2007, 00:17:33]