By Rusty Bradshaw

Independent Newsmedia

Valley View Community Food Bank officials are looking to the community to help them replace a truck that was stolen during the Thanksgiving holiday.

A 2003 Chevy Silverado was stolen from the food bank warehouse, 12321 N.W. Grand Ave., El Mirage, some time after 11:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23. The truck was used to haul food to distribution sites and to make home deliveries. Jesse Ramirez, Valley View director, said the truck could haul as much as 4,000 pounds per day.

Valley View Community Food Bank Director Jesse Ramirez with one of the food bank's trucks used to haul food. A smaller vehicle was stolen on Thanksgiving and food bank officials are asking for donations to replace it.

The truck was still at the facility in the late morning Nov. 23 when Mr. Ramirez was there filling a food box for a family in need.

“The truck was still there when I left at 11:30 a.m.,” he said. “The next morning one of our drivers called to say the truck was missing but the keys were still in the warehouse.”

Valley View officials filled the gap with a rental and a borrowed truck from Wickenburg. But they will need to replace the vehicle.

A GoFundMe site was started Nov. 25 and by Nov. 30 had $4,000 collected. Anyone interested in contributing can visit https://www.gofundme.com/food-bank-truck-stolen.

“The truck was stolen after we had given away more than 3,300 holiday food boxes,” Marge Clark, Valley View board member, stated in an email. “That is really discouraging.”

Since the truck’s keys were still int he facility, Mr. Ramirez speculated it had been hot-wired.

“The truck was insured, but because it was older we won’t get much for it,” Ms. Clark stated.