Passions flare after closure of Blackfoot Senior Center food pantry

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Tension over the closure of a volunteer‑run pantry and store at the Blackfoot Senior Center erupted into a packed, emotional meeting as seniors accused the center’s board of poor communication and ignoring members’ concerns.

“Unfortunately, there's been a breakdown in communication between the members of the senior center, and the board members. And the pantry has been closed,” said Tami Jones, a volunteer at the pantry and local resident.

Jones was disappointed in the decision because of the proximity of the senior center to the apartment buildings nearby. She recalled a recent event in which a gentleman on the sidewalk was struggling to carry two backpacks full of food from the pantry. She offered to help him drive the food back to his house, despite his initial fear that she was judging him for taking so much food. He accepted her offer. She fears that the residents won’t have access to food now that the pantry is closed, since the other pantries are further away.

For roughly three years, volunteers operated a food pantry and small donation store out of the center, bringing in more than $15,000, according to figures cited at the meeting. About half of that went back to the senior center, volunteers said.

During the meeting, former Blackfoot Mayor Paul Loomis and current Chairman of the Board told the agitated crowd that they will not be reopening the pantry.

“We at the senior center are experts at running the senior center.” said Loomis “We're not experts that run the pantry. And there are four other pantries in this city which take care of food insecurity. And so we're going to let them do what they're really good at, and we're going to do what we are really good at.”

One of the meeting attendees shouted back at Loomis, explaining that the other food pantries made them feel ashamed, whereas the one at the senior center made them feel comfortable and treated them like family.

Board members said they recently decided to stop supporting what they called an “ad hoc pantry,” arguing it lacked the oversight required under the center’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. They also cited food safety concerns and a recent inspection that, they said, raised questions about how donated food was handled.

“You can’t have an ad hoc organization who is receiving donations under a 501(c)(3) that doesn’t have one,” Loomis said.

Other board members were concerned about how funds were donated. “There has to be proper oversight.”

Some seniors countered that the pantry and store had operated openly for years, with the board’s knowledge, and that members were never clearly informed of legal or safety issues.

Board members defended the decision to redirect donated food and pledged to improve communication, publish its meeting schedule in the center’s newsletter and form small working groups with seniors to discuss the various concerns the residents brought up.

Many seniors left the meeting early, upset by the decision. The ones who stayed did not feel satisfied with the outcome.

“We have four other pantries in the city,” Loomis repeated as another attendee quickly interjected with “I reiterate, Paul, not one of them will give these people what that pantry has given us for the last three years.”

Board members promised to issue a statement and a press release to the community concerning the decisions made and to address any concerns the community might have had.