Diocese: Brooklyn parish didn’t meet standards to keep Helping Hands Food Pantry open
Park Slope residents say the closure is leaving many of them in a state of food insecurity.
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The Helping Hands Food Pantry handed out its final bags of food on Saturday morning in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. Many members of the community gathered to take what they could after learning that time was of the essence.
The pantry was part of program run by the Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church. Volunteers handed out over 400 meals a week for over 25 years to those in need.
"People are going hungry in the street, people are everywhere looking for a place like this. This place is great, so I don't understand why it's closing," says Gladys Bauman, a dedicated food pantry recipient. "[The pantry is] very important, not only for me but for people that are really doing bad, and they need help. So, why would you take away something that really belonged to us."
A spokesperson for The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn says the parish did not meet the required standards to keep the party open after failing an audit conducted in April 2023 by the safe environment office.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn says they are "committed to ensuring that families this pantry has served continue to receive assistance through alternative resources and nearby food pantries" and provided a list of several available alternatives.
