Thief steals Oakland church's food giveaways

An Oakland church was burglarized over the weekend by a thief who stole all the food that it gives away each week to the needy. The Zion Tabernacle Church of God lost bread, ham, chicken, vegetables, pies and milk - and even the dolly it uses to carry the food inside, Pastor Elmer Randolph said Tuesday as he surveyed the empty interior of the church at 2147 East 15th St. in the city's San Antonio neighborhood. Now, all that is left is the seasoning and empty cupboards in a church where a sign on a wall reads, "Give us this day our daily bread." Police have made no arrests. "You can't believe that people would do things like that, especially when you're giving the food away," Randolph said. The thief broke in through a bathroom window late Saturday or early Sunday, then broke a lock to the food storeroom, Randolph said. He said the thief apparently knew the church gives away food to 100 or so people most Mondays, so it would be well-stocked over the weekend. Local stores and food banks donate some of the items, and donations from parishioners buy the rest. "It's gonna cause other people to come help us do more," Randolph said. "We're coming back, so no quitting. My mother taught me that a winner never quits and a quitter never wins." SOURCE:SFGATE.COM