With gas prices soaring to an average $1.27 per litre in Calgary and experts predicting the most expensive season at the pumps in a decade, thieves are going to unfortunate lengths and targeting charitable organizations to obtain the valuable commodity.

, a Calgary-based non-profit charity that donates clothes and household items to impoverished women and their families, says thieves are stealing fuel from their delivery trucks when they’re parked outside overnight.

“Two weeks ago, our trucks were hit each night for three nights in a row and the gas lines were cut and the gas tanks were drained,” Karen Ramchuk, WINS executive director, told CTV Calgary on Monday.

Surveillance footage shows the robberies taking place in a dimly-lit parking lot.

On top of the loss of fuel, the charity has also been forced to pay for additional towing and repair costs for the targeted trucks.

The losses come at a time when the organization is already having difficulty making ends meet thanks to rising operational costs and higher demand. In March, the organization was forced to temporarily close its family resource centres due to a lack of funding.

“Any costs we have to the organization take away from helping Calgarians directly,” Ramchuk said.

The increase in gas prices has also taken its toll on the charity. Ramchuk said the organization uses approximately 38,000 litres of gas each year in order to collect donations and deliver goods. She estimates they will have to find another $15,000 to make up for the difference in fuel prices this year.

“Fifteen thousand dollars, for us, is a lot of money,” she said.

Despite the recent spate of vandalism and thefts targeting WINS’ trucks, the RCMP says they haven’t seen a spike in gas thefts. However, Const. Dan Martin recommended increased vigilance such as parking in a garage, driveway, or well-lit area.

“Obviously, it’s considered a valuable product right now so there is a little bit of a motive to steal the fuel,” Martin said. “We have seen fuel thefts via siphoning and we’ve also seen some via people drilling holes into gas tanks.”

As for WINS, Ramchuk is appealing to the public to make monetary donations or lend parking spaces to the charity.

“I am hoping that someone will come forward with a secure, safe, enclosed space where WINS can park their trucks overnight,” she said.

With a report from CTV Calgary’s Alesia Fieldberg