Calgary charity hit several times by gas line-cutting fuel thieves

Thieves have targeted a Calgary charity multiple times in recent weeks, stealing gas from the non-profit's delivery trucks by cutting the gas lines and draining them.

KarenRamchuk, executive director of Women In Need Society, says the society had to spend more than $1,200 in one week alone towing and repairing their fleet of four delivery trucks and that's not counting the value of the stolen gas.

"My reaction was really, Iget if people have nothing and need to steal, but we're a charity, so stealing from a charity hurts us in the way that we can't help as many people," Ramchuk said.

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"Not only that, but if they really needed help, if they came to us, we'd do our best to help them."

Ramchuksaid she thinks it's simply the high cost of gas that's motivating the thieves.

"It's frustrating but I understand where they're coming from," she said.

Ramchuksaid the organization goes through 38,000 litres of gas in a year, but is unsure how much gas hadbeen stolen.

Staff Sgt. Graeme Smiley with Calgary police saidas gas prices rise, so could this type of crime. He urgedpeople to make their property moving targets, which is what WINS has done, moving their trucks around nightly.

WINS is hoping someone will donatea fenced-in space where they can park their trucks for a more permanent solution.

The thefts were just another hit for the non-profit, which temporarily closed down its family resource centres in March after donations fell and demand for resources increased.

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WINS has so far raised $325,000 of its $500,000 goal to reopen the facilities and prevent them from shutting down for good.