FORT SMITH, Ark. — Two weeks after thieves targeted the Fort Smith Senior Activity Center, executive director Deanna Rice is still coming to terms with the idea that someone could do such a thing.
"I don't know what kind of person does that," Rice said.
This hasn't always been an issue for the center.
"It's just been all of a sudden. I've been here for close to 20 years and I haven't had these kinds of issues ever," she said.
On Dec. 18, someone stole the trailer used to haul food from the local food bank to make over 25,000 meals a month for seniors out of the center's parking lot.
"We're going to have to rely on asking people to help us, trying to fit things in our vans that we already use to deliver the meals, too," Rice said. "We just don't have the resources."
The stolen trailer was parked at the back of the center. Rice said she suspects the thieves came in Friday night after the center was closed. A volunteer who came to cook meals the next morning noticed the trailer was missing.
The trailer also held air conditioning units, kitchen supplies, and equipment for storage.
Rice said it's not the first thing that has been stolen from the center in recent months.
"We have a truck that we use to deliver 'Meals on Wheels' with, and someone took a drill, got underneath the truck, drilled a hole in the gas tank, and took the gas out of the truck."
As a nonprofit organization, the center runs on donations and grants. Rice said they used $3,400 of grant funding to buy the truck.
"It's very disheartening when we're stolen from because we don't really have the means to replace the items," she said.
With a tight budget, it will be some time before the center can purchase surveillance cameras.
As Fort Smith police investigate the stolen trailer, Rice said they're increasing patrols in the area.
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