Van stolen from AIDS Project New Haven, patients without food

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A van that hundreds rely on every day is stolen from a Downtown New Haven parking lot. It belongs to AIDS project New Haven. It's used to bring meals to hungry families coping with HIV and AIDS.

They serve about 400 people in New Haven. They opened 30-years-ago to help people in New Haven diagnosed with the disease.

To most an old van is not a hot ticket item but to the AIDS Project New Haven it's invaluable.

"We were devastated and we're still devastated," said Nick Boshnack, Director of Client Services.

Boshnack says they delivered much needed meals to 175 HIV positive patients in that van. They last saw it January 28.

"Went to leave at the end of the evening and the van was missing. The van was gone," said Bochnack.

It turned up, but it was stripped of it's parts. They got about $6,000 in insurance money, but it's not enough and they have hungry families who rely on these these frozen meals.

"If we don't deliver the food, they're not eating so we are struggling to maintain and get deliveries out without the van," said Bochnack.

Right now they have volunteers going in their own cars and using another van in their lot but that has it's own lifesaving mission.

"That van is used for medical appointments to get very fragile clients to their medical appointments," said Bochnack. "We have no choice. If we don't get this food out to clients, they're not eating so we're struggling to do it, but we are doing it."

To help the AIDS Project New Haven, visit www.apnh.org