BUTTE — Sadly, criminals don’t care who they hurt, but the pair of bandits who stole an expensive generator for a Butte food truck ended up hurting people with disabilities who rely on the vehicle to make money and improve their quality of life.
“We had just got it up and going, we were running at least one event a week and, sadly, somebody decided to take advantage of the most vulnerable population, people with disabilities,” said Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities Director Holli Bennett.
Sometime after 6 a.m. on Labor Day, two people took a generator valued at about $6,000 from the food truck belonging to the Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities in Butte. One of the clients noticed it the next day while doing his daily check of the truck.
“I pulled out my phone and called Holli and I’m like, ‘Holli, you need to come out here really quickly. The generators gone.’ And she’s like, ‘You’re joking,’ I’m like, I’m not joking,” said client Todd Ryan.
The truck is part of the Dishability Program that the clients use to prepare food and sell at events to raise money for the non-profit group. The theft has temporarily shut down their fundraising efforts.
“Who wants to stand and tell people with disabilities, that want to go to work that want to come to work every day, sorry we have to cancel this event, because somebody who doesn’t have a job and doesn’t want to work came and vandalized and did this to our property,” said Bennett.
Client Heather Raymond said, “It made me angry … a lot. I need the food truck. I help with the money.”
“We need this truck,” said client Mark Taylor. “We cook in it."
Ryan added, “It’s important for me and others because we can learn how to cook stuff and prepare us for the future.”
Since the theft, several people and groups have reached out with donations and fundraising to help them get a new generator. One client had a message to the thieves about their truck.
“We can’t use it without a generator, so please bring it back,” said staff member Drake Dennison.
And one more message:
“Don’t do drugs,” he said.
