'So heartwarming': After Meals on Wheels vans were vandalized, locals rallied to help

A local business and individuals came to the rescue after a Cincinnati nonprofit was stolen from last month.

Jennifer Steele, CEO of Meals on Wheels Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky, said it was "heartbreaking" when the organization had to cancel trips for seniors after four of its vans were vandalized.

The nonprofit discovered that catalytic converters had been stolen from four passenger vans parked at its Queensgate office on Sept. 28. The vans transport over 80 seniors per day for doctors appointments, errands and recreational trips.

Meals on Wheels posted about the vandalism on Facebook, which inspired locals and Cincinnati business RDI Corp., which partners with the nonprofit, to help.

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"Individuals went to our website and called us, and made really generous gifts," Steele said.

More than $10,000 were raised, $8,000 coming from RDI and the rest from individual donations. The funds were enough to fully cover the repairs and install welded cages to prevent anyone from stealing the catalytic converters in the future.

"It was so heartwarming," Steele said about the community response. "It had been so disappointing when it happened. It was heartbreaking to have to cancel trips for seniors. ... It was so nice, and we were so grateful that the Cincinnati community rallied around us."

Meals on Wheels Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky is headquartered in South Fairmount. The nonprofit has been a part of Greater Cincinnati for almost a century. Steele said the Meals on Wheels vans have provided over 20,000 one-way trips for seniors in Hamilton County this year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnatians raise money to fix vandalized Meals on Wheels vans