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WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — For one Winter Garden nonprofit, 2024 did not get off to a great start.
Eight Waves, which helps support kids and families in the area, had its van stolen on Christmas day, and when they recovered it several days later, it had been stripped for parts.
Leaders at the nonprofit say the incident is impacting the services they offer.
The only way many of the kids can participate in the program, or go on field trips, is with the 13 seat passenger van that was donated to Eight Waves last year.
Eight Waves reported the van stolen on Dec. 25, and while it was recovered on Jan. 4, it was not in the condition they expected.
It was a difficult hit for Eight Waves director of Operations and Programs, Kelly Carr.
“There were all of these feelings of we needed to find (it),” she said. “And I just wanted to find it so we could have it back, but I guess I didn’t think through that someone could steal a vehicle and would do this.”
Carr said there is nothing that brings her more joy than sharing a book with a child, and the van played a role in making that possible.
“For me, I am really excited when the kids are enjoying reading,” she said, explaining that she spends her afternoons helping dozens of kids improve their reading skills.
“After school we read twice a week, we meet on Monday and Wednesdays at the Dream Center,” she said.
Carr was shocked to see the state of the van after police found it abandoned in Tildenville.
“It was just, it was devastating,” she said.
From the outside, it looked like a window was smashed. But Carr said she found the battery had been ripped out, the ignition destroyed and the interior of the vehicle was completely stripped.
“To take all the seats out and make it so we are not even able to use it, it just makes it very challenging for us to decide what the best next step would be with the van moving forward,” she said.
Without the van, she expects many kids won’t be able to make it to their program for the time being.
“This week we are going to have to let parents know that they are going to have to walk up or they are going to have to somehow find a way to come pick them up. And, so, that is going to be a hardship for the parents,” said Carr. “Some of the parents work late and they rely on us to have their children and know that their children are being taken care of.”
Carr said she has felt overwhelmed trying to speak with their insurance and get quotes for repairs — which she said will probably end up being thousands of dollars the nonprofit does not have in its budget.
“We were not expecting for this to happen. It has been very, very upsetting,” she said.
In the meantime, she said the community has rallied around them.
“We are really grateful for all the community support and we are just hoping that we can make the best of a pretty bad situation,” said Carr.
Investigators with the Winter Garden Police Department said while they have not made an arrest connected to the van theft, the incident is still an active investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact them.
Plastic Patio Table Eight Waves says they are considering creating a fundraiser, but always accept donations on their website.