Nonprofit Working On App To Fight Hunger Burglarized
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore police are investigating a break-in in Southeast Baltimore. A North Potomac Street rowhome was temporary headquarters for a nonprofit group that delivers food to the hungry.
Unsung operates by way of the Internet, and lost thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment in the break-in.
It happened while Unsung founder Jason King and volunteers were away from the house.
"We had just gone out for lunch, and we came back in, and this back door was wide open and this air conditioner right here had been pushed out," said King.
Whoever broke in took computers and electronics, the bread and butter, so to speak, of a group dedicated to fighting hunger.
"Everybody had come into town just to work on this app for the month of August," King said.
The app allows caterers and restaurants with food they can't use to contact volunteers who will pick up and deliver. The donor takes a picture and gives a brief description of the food and enters their location for pickup.
The equipment stolen was the volunteers' personal property.
"Laptops, iPads, iPhones and a software suite. Software is expensive, the high-end," said King.
King says it's a big setback for these hunger hackers, whose reach includes cities across the country. Baltimore police are investigating.
"There was a significant amount of property that was taken. Our officers are looking to identify the person who may have committed this crime. And at this point, the investigation is open and ongoing," said Donny Moses, Baltimore City Police Department.
King says his group is more committed now than ever.
"We're committed to ending hunger in America, and so we're going to keep right on working on that," he said.
And calling attention to the fact that 50 million Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from.
Right now, police have no suspects in the break-in.
Unsung's founder says the group will remain headquartered in Baltimore.