MILWAUKEE — Street Angels, Inc. shared photos on Facebook Friday of their buses which were destroyed by a fire overnight.
The group said they got word of the fire around 10:45 p.m. after they had just finished serving the community.
"I was really hoping it was a lie, but the we actually saw video," said Street Angels Executive Co-Director Eva Welch.
The Milwaukee Fire Department was there within minutes, the Street Angels said, as the station is right across the street.
However, while the fire department got there quickly, they told the Street Angels there wasn't much they could do.
Frank Stewart said he has been helped by the street angels for years. When Stewart found out about the bus, he said he felt heartbroken.
"Someone burnt it down and I thought, 'man, that's really messed up,'" Stewart said.
The buses are used to deliver essential items like food, clothing, and survival gear to homeless folks in the Milwaukee community. It's a vital service with even more importance this time of the year.
On Friday, the group said their blue bus looked like it would still be functional. They are now planning on how to move forward with serving the community this weekend.
"We have people that are depending on us to eat and stay warm, so that's vital," Welch said. "We started in a minivan, we'll finish in a minivan if we have to."
Stewart said he has faith the Street Angels will be able to get the job done as they always do.
"[What happened] takes away from the homeless people, but you know they still can't ruin the hope. They're still the Street Angels, you can't take that away," Stewart said.
Milwaukee Street Angels said they were very overwhelmed with the love, concerns, and offer to help. They posted alink to their donation pagefor anyone who wanted to help.
The group thanked its neighbors for letting them know as well as Milwaukee police, and Milwaukee fire.
Now, a coffee shop in Milwaukee is donating 50% of its proceeds to the Street Angels.
"This is an amazing organization that does so much good in the world," The Daily Bird coffee shop wrote on Facebook.
