RICHMOND, Ky (LEX 18) — Catalytic converter thefts have become more common in the last few months. The latest instance hit a food bank in Madison County.
The theft is a financial hit and affects operations at God's Outreach Food Bank. God's Outreach is the food bank in Madison county and serves over 1,700 families a month. They also provide backpacks of food for school kids in need on the weekends.
"One of our volunteers went to drive the truck, and we were going to pick up around 20 pallets of food this morning, and when he went to start the truck it was just extremely loud and he knew immediately that something was wrong," said Mandy Agee, Assistant Director at God's Outreach in Richmond.
Agee and other volunteers quickly discovered that the catalytic converter was missing from their new truck. "Cost-wise, it will be a very expensive fix. And that would have gone to food that would have helped people."
The theft prevented thousands of pounds of food from being delivered to the food bank on Wednesday. It now puts God's Outreach down to two trucks, and they are running at double time to make up for the loss.
"It is upsetting to think that someone would take from an organization that is completely community-supported," Agee went on.
She says she and others at God's Outreach Food Bank forgive, and hopes the person who did it will think twice about how many people this ultimately impacts.
