Local business owners come to the aid of Vinnies Van

Cranes Combined owner Chris Kolodziej said he and his wife, Cathy, were moved to act after reading about the damage caused this week.

It left dozens of Launceston's most vulnerable at risk with the van serving food and drinks to the homeless.

"When I read it in the paper I thought wow, this is a necessary service that's being provided and some thoughtless individual decided to do this and people are going to suffer," Mr Kolodziej said.

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"I telephoned St Vincent de Paul and I said if there's any way we can help please let me know. I said I'm more than happy to pay for the replacement of the parts and the installation so that you can get it back on the road again, doing what it's supposed to be doing and helping the community."

St Vincent de Paul Society state president Mark Gaetani said the organisation was frantically looking for ways to make up for the loss of the vehicle for the next few weeks when Mr Kolodziej offered to pay for the van to be fixed and source an interim vehicle.

"Their amazing community spirit and thoughtfulness for the disadvantaged in our community is simply outstanding," he said.

"On behalf of every disadvantaged person who relies on the Vinnies Van for food, hot drinks, soup, and warm clothing, we cannot thank them enough."

Mr Kolodziej said he had no prior relationship with St Vincent de Paul or the food van but could not sit idle while vulnerable members of the community went without.

"This was just wrong. It's a service that some people can't do without," he said.

Mr Kolodziej said he had already spoken to a mechanic to source a new catalytic converter for the food van and could arrange the urgent repairs.

Despite hearing of similar thefts in the community, Mr Kolodziej said he could not believe someone would target a charity that so many relied upon.

"Look for somebody to do something like that to something that services the community that brings everything down to a new low doesn't it, that's just beyond the beyond - it beggars belief that somebody would do that," he said.

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Mr Kolodziej said he did not know how much repairs would cost, explaining it was not a factor he considered when he made the offer to help.

"It's not a question of cost. It's a question of getting the car back on the road so that we can help to look after people and help look after delivering meals to people that need them," he said.

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"It's just a no brainer, let's just help out and make it all work again and get it back on the road as quickly as we can," he said.

Police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to call 131 444.

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