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Community rallies around non-profit that feeds children
After thieves stole copper and equipment from a non-profit that typically provides meals for hundreds of Dallas ISD students, the community is coming together to keep kids fed at summer camps. At the same time, there is still a race to get the copper needed to restore service at Hunger Busters.
DALLAS - After thieves stole copper and equipment from a non-profit that typically provides meals for hundreds of Dallas ISD students, the community is coming together to keep kids fed at summer camps.
At the same time, there is still a race to get the copper needed to restore service at Hunger Busters.
Natalia Villa and Gracie Phillips are among dozens of kids enjoying summer camp this year at the Trinity River Audubon Center.
Sharon Mansfield runs the summer camp with the nonprofit literary program, Writer's Garret.
"We were knee deep in camp preps, lesson plans materials, was watching the news," she said.
Thieves steal copper, equipment from non-profit that feeds hungry Dallas ISD students
Hunger Busters prepares meals for thousands of Dallas ISD kids who would otherwise go hungry. But the operation is now on hold after tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and copper was stolen over the weekend.
That's when Mansfield saw the story about another non-profit, Hunger Busters, being targeted by burglars who stole their HVAC system and 200 feet of copper. Hunger Busters provides meals for Mansfield's campers.
"I saw their building had been burglarized and affected their ability to store food," she said. "I thought, ‘I think this will impact camp. What will we do?’"
Then Mansfield got a message from the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, which runs the Dallas County Meals on Wheels program, asking if they could help.
"We have a kitchen where we make lots of meals, we could make kid-friendly lunches," said Chris Culak with the VNA.
The VNA typically makes 7,000 meals a day but for seniors.
"What we normally serve seniors, kids would probably not want," Culak said. "So we tried to make them kid-friendly, sandwiches, chips, fruit cups, cookies and milk."
The Writer's Garret needed 1,920 meals to cover breakfast and lunch for 40 kids over six weeks. And to cover the cost, yet another non-profit stepped up. The Dallas Maverick's Foundation agreed to provide $10,000 for the meals and delivery expenses.
Atmos Energy donated $31,000 for a new HVAC system.
But in addition to that, Hunger Busters needs copper pipes. And those are at a premium right now, going for $54 dollars a foot.
A year ago, the replacement would have cost $3,000. Now, the price tag is more than $10,000. And if compressors need to be replaced, that will run another $9,000.