A local charity group that had its van stolen from its parking lot last week — apparently now has a deal in place to get a new one.
Shield of Athena, a non-profit group for victims of family violence, lost their van last Thursday after it had been stolen from the parking lot of its Montreal office. The van, which they purchased a decade ago, was used to transport women and children who were victims of family violence to important appointments, as well as to collect donations of food and clothing.
On Wednesday morning, the group took its story to several local media outlets, including CJAD 800 — and the group's executive director, Melpa Kamateros says they've been getting calls throughout the day, offering support. "There was a huge outpouring of community support," Kamateros says. "It's just incredible. It's amazing...because they heard you guys on the radio in the morning, the whole thing evolved."
One of those calls, she says, was from Avon Canada, which offered to donate a brand new van to replace the old one, though their Avon Foundation for Women.
"You don't know what this means for us," Kamateros says. "It's so wonderful because we can continue picking up our staff and taking people to their appointments...it's just great."
Another one of those calls came from Silver Star Mercedes, who agreed to lend the group the use of a van until the deal for their new permanent one is finalized.