Hundreds of seniors depend on these for meals. One van was stolen

A van used to feed 600 homebound senior citizens in the Tri-Cities region was stolen this week.

And white van with “Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels” on the side was driven away from the agency’s parking lot on Fowler Street late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Officials are hoping someone spots the 1998 van or saw something that might help find it.

Meals on Wheels workers were starting to load meals into their vans at the Fowler Street parking lot on Wednesday morning when they noticed the van missing, said Grant Baynes, executive director of Senior Life Resources Northwest.

“I’m hoping that it will turn up and it will turn up in usable condition,” he said. “If it’s abandoned and someone in the public can find it, that would be terrific.”

Baynes is hoping the age of the van and the name on the side will make it easy to spot.

While the loss of the van could become a problem, it didn’t stop the charity from delivering 600 hot meals to seniors living from Prosser to Pasco.

It was the oldest of the nonprofit’s four vans and normally is used when another van has problems.

“If something changes tomorrow, if we have an accident or one of the vans breaks down that’s when we would have to improvise,” Baynes said.

The van won’t be easy to replace. Insurance will likely only cover about $1,000 of the loss because of the van’s age, and a replacement is likely to cost $48,000, including the ovens and freezers necessary for the meals.

The theft is disappointing, Baynes said, but people and businesses, such as Smile-a-Mile painting, have made generous offers to help the nonprofit if needed.

“We feel like with help from the community we will find a way,” Baynes said.

Anyone who sees the van is asked to call Richland police using the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 12:46 PM.