CLEVELAND, Ohio — A busy Cleveland food pantry recently had to dispose of virtually all of its food and temporarily shut down after a Food Bank inspection found evidence of mice.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank says its compliance team found serious pest and cleanliness issues during a site visit to Bigman’s Family Center on Aug. 8. Some think the order to throw almost everything away was an overreaction and a wasteful move during a time of historic need for food assistance.
Pastor Pamela Brown, who operates Let’s Pray Ministry and manages the food pantry at Bigman’s Family Center, told News 5 that instruction to shut down came as the pantry was preparing for distribution on Aug. 15.
“We had over 100 people waiting in line, and when they saw us taking out carts of food and throwing it into the dumpster, they asked us why,” she said.
While some volunteers turned away clients, others began following instructions to clear the shelves and toss everything in the dumpster outside, including produce delivered that morning, baby formula and canned goods.
“I said, ‘The food is in the dumpster.’ And they said, ‘Well, I’m not afraid to go in the dumpster. I’ve got to feed my family.’ Do you know how humiliating that probably was for them?” Brown recalled.
The pantry has had to halt its three-times weekly distributions for the time being. The closure comes as the Food Bank sees historic demand for food assistance. Brown said the pantry alone serves several thousand people each month.
News 5 reached out to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. A spokesperson there issued the following statement:
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank provides food to more than 1,000 program partners in a six-county services area. Food safety and quality of service are of the utmost importance: each partner signs an annual agreement and agrees to adhere to important guidelines around proper food handling/storage, cleanliness, and safe food distribution.
Bigman’s Family Center has been a long-time partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Recently, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank began receiving calls about the cleanliness of Bigman’s Family Center from concerned community members. Our compliance team conducted a site visit with Bigman’s, which revealed serious pest and cleanliness issues that need to be addressed.
Because of this, the food pantry at Bigman’s Family Center has been temporarily closed since August 17, 2023 while they work to address the issues. The Food Bank is working closely with teams at both Bigman’s and the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland to rectify the issues with a goal to re-open the pantry as soon as the issues are addressed.
Some food items were impacted by the pest issues and, out of an abundance of caution, with food safety in mind, the center was asked to dispose of affected items. New food will be provided by the Food Bank in advance of their reopening. We anticipate this to happen in the near future.
Because we know our neighbors may still be in need while Bigman’s works to resolve these issues, any neighbor seeking food assistance has been directed to nearby partner agencies, including:
1. University Settlement Hunger Center, 4800 Broadway Ave., Cleveland, OH 44127 (216) 641-8948. Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:30 am-2 pm
2. Corinthian Hunger Center, 1643 East 55th Street, Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 526-1107. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10 am-1 pm
3. Hunger Network, MidTown Market, 4415 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 619-8155 x 115. Hours: Every Other Saturday from 9 am – 12 pm; Mondays from 4 pm - 7 pm
The Food Bank has also scheduled an outdoor produce distribution at Bigman’s Family Center for Thursday, August 31, 2023. Additionally, anyone in need of food resources is encouraged to contact the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Help Center at 216-738-2067.
Bigman’s Family Center continues to be a valued partner agency of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank as well as the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland. They are filling an important need with their focus on serving people in an area of high food insecurity and we appreciate their attention to this matter. We will continue to work with them to support their re-opening and their efforts to serve the community.
Bigman’s Family Center took over the food pantry less than 2 years ago, and Brown said the organization has done serious cleanup and pest control since the transition. Since it took over, she said it’s passed all regular inspections.
The nonprofit is now weighing whether it can distribute food sourced from outside the Food Bank and is calling for community donations. Pastor Brown said the community has come to rely on the organization’s services, and it doesn’t plan to go anywhere anytime soon.
“We’re far more, so that’s why we refuse to close the doors even if this is empty. We still are here for the community,” she said.
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