Bob Spencer, chairman of the board of directors of St. Vincent de Paul Place said the board has expressed interest in purchasing the former Polish National Club on High Street as the new headquarters of the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The building would not be the site of housing or meal preparation. Spencer explained that the current economy has driven many families to seek food at the pantry, including many families who have been considered "working class and middle class." The pantry currently services more than 600 households each month.
St. Vincent de Paul Place runs the current Amazing Grace Food Pantry on Main Street Extension, as well as a soup kitchen on Main Street, and the management of supportive housing at Liberty Commons, on Main Street.
Spencer welcomes public comment on his organization's plans.
4 comments:
Outragous! Sounds like soup kitchen expansion and it needs to be stopped!
Let's make the south end of downtown look like the north end! If they converted the Polish Home into a food pantry and then while no one was looking another soup kitchen- when Spear Park is torn down the muttering bums will have a change of scene. Those strung out individuals who hang out at the north end by St. Vincent, who have ruined the Buttonwood as a great place to go because they hit you up for change every time you walk by will have a change of view. In fact they can stagger up High Street and make this as uncomfortable to walk on as parts of the north end of Main are. These individuals can even use the facilities at the Russel Library, wander aimlessly up College or Pearl St on their way to the Polish Home. It isn't like there is already too much traffic on High Street so why not increase it more and allow cars to be parked on both sides of the street. Homeowners at this end of the street have finally gotten on their feet, fixed up their homes lets cut them back down again. Down town property value will reach new proportion if one advertised the adjacency to this food kitchen I am sure. It will help them to become better people if they are left to clean up the litter, and empty cans left by the homeless on their lawns as well, like a community service. In fact throw some picnic tables there and add a methadone clinic to the back side of the Polish Home and we can get this area looking just like the North End in no time! Whoever had this stellar idea of spreading out the territory the homeless is a genius! Maybe it will grow business here. Imagine the new business that could grow near the Polish home if this kitchen goes in: Traverse across Wesleyan, get a meal at the kitchen, get some food, pawn some items, go to a package store, -- this could be a new mecca people!
This social issue needs to be addressed and these two previous anonymous commenters have done a good job.But they should go further and offer solutions. Freeloaders cannot be left to go hungry. Can they? What about those that are actually mental patients with nowhere to go but on the street or to jail? In the good very old days, the only people of this ilk were well known , tolerated and welcomed Village District family members. Now the vast majority are nobody's family members. How did this happen exactly? Communities cared for their own less fortunate members. Nowadays, the unfortunate have formed their own parasitic community. Is their a better solution than giving charity blindly and giving up the beautiful Russel library? Maybe the almshouse was not such abad idea.
good points-- containment and focused charity in specific areas- rather than increased territory for those who are not ready to come back into the fold.--strengthen the GREAT facilities for the unfortunate we all ready have ( increased hours? staff?) rather than creating more venues as of yet.
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