PBHA Searches For Stolen Van Seats

When Christine D. Tran ’04 helped pull out three bench seats from a Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) van early Saturday night, the last thing she expected was to come back and find them missing.

But at 8 p.m., when she returned from helping to transport donated T-shirts for the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment summer program, a program she directs, two of the seats—which cost five to six hundred dollars apiece—were gone.

“Whenever we have to transport anything other than people, we take the seats out and leave them lying around. They are usually there when we need them,” Tran said of the seats, which were left behind Phillips Brooks House in the Yard.

Now, PBHA is having a difficult time meeting the already high demand for its vehicles—the seatless van is part of a fleet of seven used to transport materials, student volunteers and children participating in some of its 77 programs.

PBHA President Laura E. Clancy ’02-’03 said she is not concerned with meting out punishment but simply wants the seats back. But if the seats remain at large after their absence is publicized, Clancy said she will consider prosecuting if someone is found with the seats.

“It is only reasonable to do so—we need the seats back,” Clancy said. “We are giving people enough of an opportunity to return them to us.”

Tran described the seats as “heavy bench-types” made of gray leather that are large enough to seat three or four people.

She said she suspects the seats may be serving as a handy futon in some first-year’s common room.

Tran echoed Clancy’s plea for the return of the seats.

“It’s not like we have a lot of money,” Tran said.

“We are a public service organization and exist to serve. PBHA runs volunteer programs and cannot afford to replace the chairs,” she said.

Efforts to recover the seats have included sending messages to House e-mail lists.

Clancy and Tran said they urge anyone who has information about the seats to contact PBHA.

—Staff writer Maria S. Pedroza can be reached at mpedroza@fas.harvard.edu.