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Catalytic converters stolen from homeless outreach buses
Buses used to help the homeless are out of commission after thieves their catalytic converters and caused even more costly damage under the hood. Now, the Street Angels are having to pivot to make sure they are still able to help those who are sleeping on the streets.
MILWAUKEE - Buses used to help the homeless are out of commission after thieves their catalytic converters and caused even more costly damage under the hood.
Now, the Street Angels are having to pivot to make sure they are still able to help those who are sleeping on the streets.
"It’s a setback," said Shelly Sarasin, Street Angels co-director. "It's not going to stop us from doing our outreach."
Both of the organization's buses are out of service. The catalytic converters, worth an estimated $700 to $2,000 each, were taken while the buses were parked at the Ascension Lutheran Church lot on S. Layton Boulevard.
"I started up our blue bus, and realized something is really not good here. It’s really loud," said Sarasin.
Sarasin said she realized what had happened Wednesday morning, Jan. 20.
"I’m like, well, we can take our other bus today, no big deal. Tried to turn on that one and it was even louder. So at that point I knew," Sarasin said.
Thursday, the organization scrambled to adapt and continue outreach to the homeless.
"We will use our minivan and stock it up with as much as we can and still meet the needs of the people that need us," Sarasin said. "I want to make sure we are still connecting with people and still able to reach them, but it is going to be harder."
FOX6 News has tagged along for overnight outreach in the past. The buses are depended on by many without a place to go or food to eat 156 nights a year.
"It hurts because the community is the one who bought the buses, and our most vulnerable community members are the ones who depend on us," said Sarasin. "I’m just sad that it happened."
Sarasin is grateful to already be receiving offers to help with the parts and labor and to pay for security measures to prevent it from happening again.
"I’m grateful that we have insurance, and that most of the repairs will be covered. We’ve had mechanics reaching out to us wanting to help and the community’s been wanting to jump in and say what can we do," said Sarasin.
Police departments throughout the area report the number of catalytic converter thefts have continued to rise over the past year.
The mechanics working on the Street Angels' buses say there has been such a backlog of catalytic converter thefts, that they are not sure when they will be able to assess the buses or know how much repairs will cost.
Donations to the organization can be made a streetangelsmke.org.
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