Camden County food pantry forced to pause operations amid complaints
MERCHANTVILLE, N.J. (CBS) – A weekly food pantry in Merchantville, New Jersey, is being forced to pause operations.
The mayor said complaints about traffic, safety, and noise were all factors in the decision.
While neighbors who spoke to CBS News Philadelphia admit the pantry at Grace Episcopal Church causes traffic backups along Maple Avenue and the surrounding side streets when it opens on Wednesday mornings, most also said it's normally not too bad.
"They organize it. They've got the orange cones, and they come down and they talk and they direct the people, I see them," resident Sally Burdock said. "I always tell my husband it's so organized."
That's part of the reason this news has been so difficult for organizers and volunteers, including Linda Gilliano.
"There is not another pantry around," Gilliano said. "They're very small, so where are these people going to go?"
Wednesday was the last food distribution at the church, at least for now.
The pantry is a resource Robin Acebedo and his family have come to rely on for more than a year.
"It helps a lot because my dad is the only one who is working right now, and the food that they give us is a big help," Acebedo said.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the church says the need for food assistance in the community has skyrocketed.
"We spent most of 2022 with 200 families a week. In 2023, it was 400 and then quickly 500, and more recently we've been at 700 or above," the Rev. Bob Fitzpatrick said.
In a statement, Merchantville Mayor Ted Brennan said the borough is very supportive of the food pantry and recognizes "that food insecurity is also a major issue plaguing our community."
He also said that during a meeting last week with borough staff and police, "church leaders and pantry operators agreed that the food pantry had grown beyond their control."
"The borough expressed concerns about public safety and public nuisance as we have continually fielded complaints from residents over the past few months about both," Brennan said in the statement.
"I hope it opens again, I really hope that," Acebedo said.
The mayor said he looks forward to working to reopen the food pantry in "the very near future." Right now, it's unclear when and where that will happen.
Church leaders are now discussing options on how to move forward.
Anyone in immediate need of food assistance is urged to visit alternative food pantries. You can visit the food bank zip code locator to find a food pantry near you.