DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Vicki Suyat, left, Catholic Charities Hawaii director of development, talked over some of the damage to their vans yesterday with Stella Wong, Catholic Charities Elderly Services executive director. The windows and exterior of this van were sprayed with a fire extinguisher.
Vandals rob elderly
of charity transportsCatholic Charities doesn't know how
it can replace the vans that ferry seniors
Senior citizens who depend on Catholic Charities vans for transportation will have to find another way to get to the doctor and get to meal sites because of an act of vandalism.
Eight Catholic Charities vans, including the agency's only five wheel-chair accessible vehicles, were broken into sometime between 5 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, said Stella M.Q. Wong, executive director of Catholic Charities Elderly Services.
"This was pure vandalism. They didn't try to drive them away or anything. They just broke the windows and threw everything they could find on the ground," said Wong.
Wong is concerned about tomorrow, a heavy use day when the vans are used to take many elderly to medical appointments. Anyone 60 years or older who is unable to use public transportation is eligible to use the vans.
An estimated 2,500 seniors use the Elderly Services vans each month. The program has been in existence for 30 years. In addition to trips to meal sites and medical appointments, the vans take seniors shopping and to recreation programs at the Lanakila Multipurpose Senior Center in an effort to keep them independent.
The vans will be out of service until they can be fixed. Medical appointment service to Downtown and to Pearl City, and service to Ewa, Waipahu, and Windward Oahu will be affected.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Peter Reyes, Catholic Charities Hawaii transportation programs supervisor, yesterday looked over one of the vans' smashed windows. Eight vans used in the Catholic Charities Transportation Services Program were broken into and vandalized.
Wong estimates the total damage, which left five vans inoperable, at between $4,000 and $5,000. The vans, which are stored under the Keeaumoku Street overpass, were ransacked and the contents, from paperwork to first-aid kits, were strewn on the ground, she said.
"We have no funds to pay for this," said Wong. "We are on a tight budget. Passengers ride for free or for a donation. We have a contract with the city and state but that barely pays for all of our expenses. We don't know how we are going to pay for this."
Wong said it appears the vandals used a fire extinguisher found in one van to smash the windows of the other vans. No money or valuables are carried in the vans.
It's not the first time this has happened. Wong said the vans have been vandalized 10 times since 1996, but this is one of the worst and most expensive cases to date.
Police are investigating. Wong said police took fingerprints and some blood samples. Wong said damage to each van is about equal to the insurance deductible carried on that vehicle.
Founded in 1947, Catholic Charities is a human services organization dedicated to providing aid to people regardless of their faith. It is comprised of three affiliate organizations: Catholic Charities Elderly Services, Catholic Charities Family Services and Catholic Charities Community and Immigrant Services. Last year, 25,000 people on four islands in 17 locations received services from the agency.
