To the editor:

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I acknowledge the closing of St. Paul’s/Assumption Food Pantry of Gabriels, as reported in the June 23rd edition of the Enterprise. Also, there is anger and outrage.

The stated major reason for the closure of the pantry is a real and legitimate concern. Cut and dry. Simple. However, in my 60-plus years, I have learned that rarely is life so simple. Such is the case with the closing of our Pantry.

The so called “storage barn” mentioned by Father Rattigan is in fact a completely enclosed, insulated steel building, with cement flooring, available electricity and running water. This building had, in previous years, housed a business and is inaccessible to animals. Also, I highly doubt that a permit to operate a Food Pantry would have been issued by the Brighton Code Enforcement Officer if there had been any question about it being up to code.

The “behind the scenes” reasonings for the closure are much more complicated and convoluted. I will explain.

Our pantry, up until a short time ago, had been operating under the leadership of Barbara Marshall. As Director/Coordinator for more than 20 years Barb ran the Pantry with dignity, respect, confidentiality, compliance for rules and regulations, and with love. For the past 10 years she also did it while battling cancer. Her fight with that demon continues today.

Due to her medical issues, barb had to turn the operation of the Pantry over to Monroe Gladd, a volunteer and Barb’s “right hand man.” She did not do it easily. Barb had thrown her life into the Pantry and the clients. She took a vested interest in each and everyone of them. She listened to them; laughed and cried with them; hugged them when consolation was needed. In essence, she loved them because that is who she is. It caused her a great deal of pain to give up her participation in the Pantry. She turned operations over to Moe because he was the only volunteer capable of handling the full responsibility at the time. He had already undertaken many various aspects of the Pantry operations and did so reliably and diligently. The logical choice was to name him as replacement.

Certain individuals, (and you know who you are), were not happy with this decision. As in all ventures, jealousy and resentment had been brewing for many months. With each additionally delegated responsibility came more animosity towards Moe and “the way he was running the Pantry”. Gossip and rumors, lies and innuendo, even whispered threats of “going to Father Pat and the church” and “getting the Pantry shut down” were running rampant. And now, those very threats have come to fruition. How convenient!

The article seems to impart that the Pantry was “unwilling to work with the church” and deliberately broke rules and regulations. This is not only unfair and unjust, the statement has no merit. I myself, made contact with Father Rattigan in the hopes of promoting a more working relationship between the church and the Pantry. Rules may have been broken, but I believe, it was done so only due to lack of knowledge, not in outright defiance of them.

The ultimate victims amidst all of this controversy are, of course, the clients and their families. Particularly the children and elderly. Hunger is a very real and proven aspect of our communities. When all is said and done, what becomes of them; the very ones meant to be helped?

At the very least, this should be food for thought.

With all sincerity,

Mari Brooks

Lake Clear