Robber Takes $100 From Edmonds Food Bank

The Carol Rowe Memorial Food Bank in Edmonds, which serves about 1,200 people in 300 families on Tuesdays 50 weeks of the year, is short of funds after a thief stole about $100.

According to Edmonds police Sgt. Mike Blackburn, the burglary inside the , where the food bank is based. Money was stolen from a locked filing cabinet stored inside a locked warehouse section of the church, which is used as the Edmonds Food Bank distribution center.

The food bank is located in the northwest corner of the church building, said Blackburn. It is accessed from the outside through a garage door on a loading dock on the west side of the building, as well as an adjacent set of double glass doors south of the garage doors.

The doors to the church are unlocked Monday through Thursday from about 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Food bank director Peggy Kennedy discovered the loss on June 19 at 6:15 a.m. in a metal, four-drawer filing cabinet in an administrative office. Although the hinged security bar and combination padlock were in place, said Blackburn, the lock was not secured.

Cash was taken from a bank-type bag that was stored in the filing cabinet.

There were no signs of forced entry to the building. There are several keys to the warehouse that are missing, said Blackburn, and the only way to limit access would be to change the locks and reissue keys to a limited number of employees.

The office door is not kept closed or locked. Anyone gaining access to the warehouse would have access to the office.

The robbery remains under investigation.

"I hope they needed it desperately, because, you know, they not only stole from a church but a food bank," Kennedy told the Everett Herald. "I hope they really needed that money."

To learn about how to donate online to the Edmonds Food Bank, go to the United Methodist Church Web site. You can also make donations in person at 828 Caspers St. For more information, call 425-778-5833.