The tan van, which is used by the Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry, was taken some time between Thursday and Saturday night, according to Belchertwon police.
Officials with the Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry in Belchertown have posted this image of a van on the pantry's Facebook page. This is not a picture of the actual stolen van, but the missing vehicle looks very similar to this one, pantry officials said.BELCHERTOWN -- Authorities are investigating the recent theft of a van used to by a volunteer organization that distributes food to the needy.
A 1995 Ford Windstar van was reported stolen Sunday from the Belchertown United Church of Christ, 18 Park St., according to Belchertown police.
The tan van, which was parked in front of the church on the town common, was taken some time between Thursday and Saturday night, police said.
The church-owned van is used by the Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry to "purchase large quantities of food from the Food Bank of Western Mass," according to the pantry's Facebook page.
Pantry volunteers are asking the community to keep its "eyes on the look out" for the missing van, whose Massachusetts license plate number is L66741. The van has Belchertown United Church of Christ stickers on it and a blue ribbon tied to the back window.
Anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to contact Belchertown police at (413) 323-6685 or the church at (413) 323-7442.
The pantry's Facebook page implores people to "say a prayer for the thief/thieves that they will come forward or at least return the van." The van may be old, but it's "an important part of our mission to help feed the hungry in our community."