By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Workers at the Good Shepherd Food-Bank are hoping for a quick recovery of a snowplow stolen from their yard overnight.

Police are investigating the theft, and Good Shepherd officials are imploring the public to help.

Food bank spokeswoman JoAn Chartier said it appeared the plow was taken late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. She suspects a group of people was involved in the heist.

“It would’ve taken six strong men to lift it, or someone with a boom truck,” Chartier wrote in a news release. “Also stolen were the pumps and attachments from the food bank’s dump truck.”

The 10-foot Meyer’s plow was purchased in March as part of an effort by the company to cut down on rising snow-removal fees, Chartier said. In January alone, Good Shepherd had paid $2,200 for plowing.

“The purchase of this plow would have paid for itself in just one winter season,” Chartier said.

The plow attaches to the front of a large, dump-style truck, but was sitting on a wooden platform when it was stolen, police said. The control mechanisms for the plow were also taken in the theft. Police said there is a possibility that someone used machinery of their own to make off with the plow.

“They knew what they were doing,” said Auburn police Lt. James Robicheau.

The plow itself cost roughly $4,000, although with added controls the cost is over $5,000. It was not immediately clear how much Good Shepherd paid for the plow.

Chartier is asking that anyone with information about the theft call the food bank at 782-3554 or the Auburn Police Department at 784-7332.

Chartier said the plow was stolen at a time when Good Shepherd workers are trying to focus their attention elsewhere.

The food bank helps families or individuals in need by stretching every dollar donation into $12.50 worth of food, Chartier said.

As noted on its Web site, www.gsfb.org, Good Shepherd Food-Bank is the largest charitable cooperative venture in Maine. It gathers 11 million pounds of food annually from dozens of donors, such as supermarkets, wholesalers and national food producers. This food is distributed to every county in the state.

Volunteers’ and staff members’ vehicles, tractor-trailers from donors, and drivers picking up food to distribute all go to Good Shepherd’s warehouse on Hotel Road, where the plow was used.

“With Thanksgiving arriving this week,” Chartier said, “we really want and need to be focused on helping others and feeding the hungry.”