Thieves steal Detroit non-profit's van from gated parking lot

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The van isn't worth much – it's not new and it's not flashy – but it was vital to a Detroit non-profit's existence.

Mercy Education Project helps provide educational programs for girls and young women in the city and the van is needed to get the ladies where they need to be.

But early Monday morning, someone broke through a gate to steal that van.

Tanisha McIntosh with the nonprofit said the van is needed for what Mercy Education Project does every single day.

"It’s what the van does for our company and our organization," McIntosh said. "Anywhere from 20 girls a day up to 80 girls a week are really relying on this transportation."

Now, with the van gone, McIntosh and the rest of the workers will need to figure out how they're going to continue their work.

"It strips away our opportunity to give them those resources - let them get exposed and see the thing that breaks our heart," she said.

It was around 12:30 Monday morning when the thieves broke through the gated parking lot on Abott Street in Detroit. A few minutes later, one of them is in the driver's seat of the van.

"I’m actually in shock still - even though I know it was just yesterday and we’re here today but I’m in shock because we would think someone would take from a non profit organization," McIntosh said. "We have camp that’s starting Monday so we are struggling how to figure you what are we gonna do - so many girls coming in expecting to be going places and we don’t know what we’re gonna do."

All McIntosh wants is for the van to be returned – regardless of the condition its in.

"I would hope that you could return it even if it is damaged - maybe we could repair it - but just so you understand the impact," she said. "Hopefully you have some compassion and you return it."