Chick-fil-A to help restock after thief swipes goods from a food pantry

Sometime over the Christmas holiday, a Grinch swiped canned goods that were meant to be given to people in need.

The shelves at Storehouse Ministry had been fully stocked before the holidays.

The morning of Jan. 2, when ministry director Glenda Grant walked inside Abundant Word of Grace church, there was no sign of the goods that were to be distributed to 60 families in need.

Grant put out a plea to her Facebook friends.

Craig Craddock, a local Chick-fil-A operator, offered to help.

From 5-8 p.m. Jan. 16, all of the Chick-fil-A locations in Macon as well as on San Nunn Boulevard in Perry, Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins and Ga. 96 in Bonaire will be offering an incentive to those who bring canned food to donate and help re-stock the ministry's shelves.

Customers who bring in at least three non-perishable items will receive their choice of a free chicken sandwich or an 8-count box of chicken nuggets, according to a news release from Chick-fil-A on Tuesday.

There is a limit of one free offer per person, per day and participants must be present to get free food.

The Storehouse Ministry is operated by the Mid-State Baptist Association, which "seeks to stimulate church health, develop leaders ​and, as we work together, transform communities," according to its website.

At the church, near Napier Avenue and Edna Place, Aurico Clowers met with Bibb County sheriff deputy to report the theft.

Clowers told the deputy that about 15 packed boxes of food and one and a half cases of ground beef that had apparently been stolen since Dec. 14, according to the deputy's write-up of the incident.

Several church members have keys to the food bank, but Clowers said no one should have taken anything, the report said. The alarm to the building was still on and there were no signs of forced entry.

Laura Corley 744-4334; @Lauraecor

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Chick-fil-A to help restock after thief swipes goods from a food pantry."