Compressor for refrigerator at St. Vincent de Paul breaks down due to extreme heat

St. Vincent de Paul feeds hundreds of people each day, but that may be in jeopardy after their refrigerator broke down, due to the extreme heat. Now, they are asking for the community for help.

"Today we came into work, and the refrigerator was out," said Public Relations Manager Jessica Haag. "It was broken because the heat has really taken a number on it."

The compressor for the 240,000 cubic feet walk-in refrigerator gave out Wednesday morning.

"It became a panic mode for us," said Haag. "We knew we didn't want any of this donated food from our community and community partners to go to waste."

They quickly reached out to community partners for help. Some of the food was moved to other refrigerators on campus, which are now packed to the max, and extra food was handed out to families in need during dinnertime, which was a help for Rebecca Ramirez and her family.

"Sometimes when you fall back, it's hard for you to get back up and this is the place to come and be a good family and you come and eat and bring the little ones. They have a lot of things for them to do," said Ramirez.

Right now, folks at St. Vincent de Paul are focusing on getting the refrigerator up and running again, which may take over a week. The cost to replace the the compressor is $6,000, a hefty toll for a non-profit organization.

"We are the hub for all St. Vincent de Paul," said Hagg. "This kitchen makes all of the meals that goes to our five dining rooms, so to have this happen to us was a pretty drastic inconvenience, and it definitely sent shock waves throughout the organization."