WEST BEND, WIS. — A popular food pantry in Washington County that provided groceries to families with no questions asked is unexpectedly closing its doors after 11 years.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota headquarters of Ruby’s Pantry emailed West Bend site leader Felicia Reichard to inform her that all operations were closed.
"It was a good 11 years," Reichard said . "It’s the community part of it, the family part, and the being kind. In this world right now, there’s not a lot of people putting kindness first."
Once a month, the Ruby’s Pantry pop-up site operated out of the Community Church’s basement and parking lot in West Bend, giving out groceries to families who needed it. There is also a site in Hartford.
Watch: Unexpected closure of Ruby's Pantry in West Bend leaves families and volunteers searching for answers
For families like Melissa Santamaria, the closure is sad. She said the pantry was special because guests did not feel shame when asking for help.
"We have 11 children, so it was always a nice option for us to feed our children," Satamaria said. "I think it was nice to have an organization where you didn’t have to provide documentation of your income."
Reichard does not know exactly why the organization closed so fast, but she believes it has to do with finances, a structure change and new leadership. TMJ4 News tried calling the Minnesota team during business hours, but the voicemail box was full and the website appears to have been closed.
"We understand you need the food, we do, but understand we need you just as much as you need us. Good thing for the Kleenex," Reichard said. "I’m grieving. I’m totally grieving, but He’s got it... So it will all be fine in the end."
As for what is next, Reichard does not know, but she said she will find another way to help people.
"It’s going to strengthen us," she said. "And we’re just going to want to do more."
Nothing is changing for Community Church attendees. The facility only served as a location for the pop-up site, and Reichard still encouraged people to join her for services.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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