The ADRACare caravan offers hot drinks and food as well as support to Dunedin’s homeless cohort.
However, pastor Ivan Woodman — who assists with the caravan — said they discovered on Sunday the caravan’s generator had been stolen.
"We are pretty crestfallen by this.
"It’s a big deal for us.
"We feed our homeless community, but anyone who is coming past is also welcome, even if they’re just stopping by for a hot coffee."
With winter approaching, the problem had become particularly acute.
"We need the generator for warming up our soups and hot drinks and making our cheese rolls; so basically we can’t run the caravan.
"Not only was the generator stolen, but the way it was stolen meant it damaged a lot of the electrical equipment.
"We need to have it repaired."
"People have pitched in, which was great, but that’s just a short-term fix.
"We had no plan for this.
"It’s very sad that someone can do this to a facility that only exists for the community."
He appealed to people for information.
"It’s just so discouraging.
"Even if you’re the person who took it, please bring it back.
"This isn’t the first time the generator has been taken — we even had locks on it this time."
The theft of the generator comes at a time when Dunedin is grappling with its homelessness crisis.
Recently, Mayor Jules Radich’s plan to turn the Aaron Lodge site, which is owned by Kainga Ora, into a supported accommodation facility for homeless people was rejected by Housing Minister Chris Bishop.
