Remember that crazy wind we had in Chilliwack in November?
Well - in the midst of it all - Ruth & Naomi's (RAN) Mission lost their van.
RAN staff member Kevin Findlay was driving east on Highway 1 on a food run for the Mission. As he was passing the No. 3 on-ramp, a yielding driver failed to indicate and cut in front of him onto the highway.
Findlay hit the brakes, but there wasn't enough room.
Although Findlay and the other driver were fine, RAN's '92 GMC 12-passenger van was not.
Staff members use the van for RAN operations on a daily basis. They are regularly going on food runs to supermarkets or local donors. Just as often, they use the van to transport Mission residents around town for their health, employment, correctional or other needs.
RAN Executive Director Bill Raddatz was quoted $3,500 for repair, providing that parts for such an old vehicle were available.
"It wasn't worth it," he said. "The van was only worth 75 bucks."
So they sold it to the scrap yard.
The day of the accident, Chaplain Peter Biggs was able to check on Findlay and deliver he and the food load to the Mission safely. But they were out a vehicle, then in the midst of their busiest and most costly time of year.
RAN had already been planning a summer fundraiser to raise money for a new van, but they wouldn't have any capital to make the purchase until then.
"So I phoned up Shane (O'Connor) and said, 'I got a problem here,'" Raddatz recalled.
"Well, if money's your worry, don't worry about that," O'Connor had responded.
As President of the O'Connor Group, Shane and a fellow staff member quickly coordinated with Raddatz to come up with a solution. Within a week, they handed over the keys to a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan.
"We needed to help out," O'Connor said. "It's for a good cause. [The organization] helps a lot of people."
The van is valued at roughly $34,000. O'Connor generously covered 40 per cent up front. Raddatz says RAN plans to cut him a cheque for the remainder after the fundraiser in the summer.
Proud of their new ride, Raddatz brought the van over to Sapphire Creative in Abbotsford for a custom vehicle wrap.
Working in a recovery centre can be a tough job. O'Connor said that to help out with a van, that's easy.
Raddatz said that the new van served as a "tremendous" help over the Christmas season, as staff helped residents connect with their families and went about collecting food and gifts for the 250 hampers that they were able to distribute.
"The response was unbelievable. But it's just the way that the community works here," he said.
