Toowoomba charity Base Services loses hundreds in food after latest robbery amid 18-month crime wave

A top Toowoomba charity has lost hundreds of dollars of food destined for vulnerable people after thieves left their freezers open during a break-in.

One of Toowoomba’s most beloved charities has lost hundreds of dollars in food and repairs after being hit again by opportunistic criminals.

Tuesday night’s raid on the Base Services’ coldroom next to its soup kitchen on Neil Street, where offenders bashed the lock until the door sprung free, is the latest of countless incidents for the organisation stretching back 18 months.

It comes just weeks after the charity revealed it was struggling to continue providing all its services, citing a drop in donations and rising demand for meals and food packages.

Base Services co-ordinator Nat Spary said the charity has dealt with a huge number of thefts and burglaries over the past 18 months, most recently with someone breaking into its coldroom and leaving the door open.

Co-ordinator Nat Spary said while the criminals stole some produce from the cold room, their decision to leave the door open overnight is what has really cost the Base Services.

“They took some food, but they left the coldroom open — it spoils things, I wish they just closed the door,” he said.

“It was left open for nine hours so we had to throw out a lot of food, like milk and sausages.

“It was worth about $500 — we just threw it out, and then we had to repair the lock and spend money on that.”

The broken lock and bar to the cold room at the Base Services' soup kitchen on Neil Street in Toowoomba.

Mr Spary, who runs the service his wife Tiff, said the Base Services had dealt with numerous stolen items over some time, including a written-off work car, trailers, gardening tools, cash registers and even donation tins.

“We lost our service car, and my son actually saw them driving around with all the (sponsor) stickers still on,” he said.

“We’ve had cash registers stolen from our cafe (the 2nd Shot), and I had to (pay to) fix the door.

“The donation tin (at a supporting business) was stolen, and when we checked the CCTV, it was people we helped the day before — people are desperate.

“It just never stops.”

While it’s understood other charities have offered to help recover the costs, Mr Spary said donations would be appreciated from the general public.

You can donate to the Base Services by click here or making a deposit using a BSB of 034221 and account number of 629828, providing your surname as the reference.

Cash and cheques can also be dropped off to its Thomas Street office.

Originally published as Toowoomba charity Base Services loses hundreds in food after latest robbery amid 18-month crime wave