Charity loses items to thief

A LACK of cereal, tinned fruit and treats for the sick children and families at Wellington’s Ronald McDonald House led to the arrest of a man who had been taking groceries donated to the charity.

Ronald McDonald House chief executive Lesley Slieker said volunteer groups had complained at the beginning of the year that there was no tinned fruit for baking, so the charity was forced to go out and buy new supplies.

She was horrified when someone they knew was arrested and charged with the theft of $478.33 of groceries intended for the families.

Slieker said it was only then that she began to wonder what was happening to the goods donated by New World Thorndon.

‘‘We had a treat bowl for those who might need something quickly or were starving, with things like muesli bars in it, and it was empty,’’ she said.

The charity missed out on items such as meat, detergent, cereal, tinned fruit and treats.

‘‘We did not have enough for our own families.’’

Slieker said the house had taken it very seriously and did not want the integrity of the charity or its donors and sponsors to be compromised.

The man and his position with the charity cannot be identified, but he pleaded guilty to stealing the groceries, which he then gave to another charity in January this year.

In Wellington District Court Judge Ian Mill yesterday convicted the man and ordered him to pay $500 to Ronald McDonald House, but discharged him without further penalty.

The judge said that, in the past, the man had had some authority to pass on groceries.

But in this instance, New World, which had donated the goods, had expected them to go to Ronald McDonald House.

The judge suppressed the name of the other charity but said Ronald McDonald House wanted to be fair and transparent in its dealings with those who donated to it.