Thieves stole the catalytic converter off a truck used to help homeless people Tuesday night.
Officials with the Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness & Housing (ARCH) says at least one of the catalytic converters on the ShareHouse truck has been stolen.
ShareHouse is operated from ARCH's warehouse, behind the ARCH offices. Members of the community are able to drop off gently used household items like beds, chairs, couches, bedding, dinnerware, toiletries, and housekeeping tools and supplies. The items are inventoried and sorted by ARCH staff and volunteers, and clients across the continuum of care, who were experiencing homelessness and are now ready to be rehoused, are able to receive the items that they need.
Together, ARCH staff, volunteers, and clients transport the items to their new homes, and the truck and trailer is vital to this service.
On Tuesday night at around 4 a.m., two individuals removed at least one of the catalytic converters from the ARCH ShareHouse truck. While the truck and trailer is securely stored, the individuals were able to avoid having their faces caught on film.
The truck is utilized nearly every day, picking up donated items, delivering gently used household goods to clients, and helping people reestablish themselves in their new homes.
“Look, desperate people do desperate things. But success in rehousing lies in treating clients with dignity, and ensuring that their new spaces be equipped with basic home furnishings and housewares. We can’t do that work without a functioning truck,” interim executive director Elsa Dimitriadis says.
ARCH has been told that it may be months before the catalytic converter(s) are able to be replaced.
If you want to help to defray some of those costs, there is a donation site available at bit.ly/sharehousemoving.
If you have any information about the theft, call Lafayette Police or Crime Stoppers at 337-232-TIPS.
