Denver Indian Family Resource Center seeking help after non-profit van stolen, totaled
The Denver Indian Family Resource Center is searching for assistance from the community after its van was stolen and totaled, which was used to serve the community.
The organization was targeted by auto thieves as the van was used for non-profit purposes, delivering food and essential items to families who are in need. The incident occurred ahead of Thanksgiving while local families hope to have their well-needed items before the holidays.
"Our van was recently stolen and we went through the process and we learned that with the damage, the van is ruled as a total loss," said Tallerita Tunney-Rogers, executive director of the organization.
The organization is recognized for supporting disproportionate families in the American Indian community.
"It is a non-profit organization that was established in 2000 to address the disproportionate rate of American Indian or Alaskan Native children, ending up in the child welfare systems," Tunney-Rogers said.
For years, the organization used the van to deliver goods to families who need services along with dignity.
"Since the year 2000, the year we were established as an organization, we have served over 3,000 children and in 2021 we served about 200 families," Tunney-Rogers said.
Now, the families who rely on the non-profit's life-saving services are suffering days before the holidays begin. Tunney-Rogers is hoping for a miracle and generosity from the community she serves.
"I think that it's easy for us to say that it is just a material thing, but really for the families who have been relying on the deliveries of food and baby care items and things that we have been delivering, it has been a challenge to get those items to them," Tunney-Roger says.
The organization encourages anyone who would like to help towards getting a new van to reach out and visit https://difrc.org/donate-now/. The non-profit's goal is to raise more than $40,000.
