Pantry 279 is rebuilding its frozen food supply after someone broke into its outdoor walk-in freezer Thursday morning.
There is currently no suspect since the pantry didn’t have an outdoor camera to identify the thief.
The break-in happened sometime between 3 and 9 in the morning, according to executive director Cindy Chavez.
After breaking the lock and handle of the freezer to get in, they stole cases of hot dogs, blocks of cheese, frozen pizzas and Armour Lunchmakers. The foods were going to the Pantry’s summer food program for children.
Chavez said there has been a lot of support from the community, including donations and local businesses installing a new lock and an outdoor security camera.
“People coming forward and doing the actual labor part for free has been really, really helpful,” she said.
This is the pantry’s fourth year of the children’s summer food program. It has fed nearly 1,500 kids since it began a month ago.
Chavez said it will cost about $2,000 to rebuild the food supply. The pantry has received several donations already.
“I hope it's somebody who needed it more than we did,” she said.
