ROCKLAND — Though it was discovered on April 13, the theft of $2,015 from the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry has just recently come to light. The theft is being investigated by Rockland detectives Rus Thompson and Joel Neal.

The money was a donation from a wake that was held for the longtime Rockland business, the Thorndike Creamery, on Thursday, March 24, at Rock City Café. Creamery owner Sarah Vokey donated the money raised that evening to the AIO food pantry.

Vokey said she received a call from AIO director Sherry Cobb on May 3, informing her that the theft was going public and she didn’t want her to find out about it that way. Vokey posted the news on Facebook and began a gofundme page to replace the money.

To date $1,150 has been raised on the site with a goal of $2,000 plus.

On that page she said: “We had a wonderful ‘wake’ for the closing of the business. We wanted to go out with a bang, a party of sorts and to do something good for the community. It worked! We raised over $2,000 for the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry.”

Vokey said that she got a phone call phone from the president of the board at AIO food pantry.

“Two days after I dropped off our donation, raised by the wake at Rock City, the pantry was robbed,” she said. “Specifically, the bank bag containing the money. That someone would steal from an organization that hands out food and clothes and love to people in need just boggles my mind.”

“So I am asking our large hearted community to give as much as each individual can, every penny counts, to replace the money, plus a bit more. Let's make sure the person who stole it knows that they can not keep us down.”

Pantry director Sherry Cobb said in a telephone interview that she does not know who could have taken the money, nor do the police. She said the police would be doing an intensive investigation.

“I’m met with detectives again this morning to go over it again,” she said. “You have no idea how sad this makes me to see this happen to us. This theft shows the degree of need among individuals in our greater community. We hope for restoration. This sad occasion has also given rise to a caring response through social media and our community. We see again the heart of our community to stand together and care.”

Cobb said they have no idea how it might have happened. In all the years of the pantry’s existence there has never been a theft. She said that they are changing the way checks and money are handled and will not be keeping any on the premises from this point on.

Rockland detectives would only comment that the investigation is ongoing.