City orders food pantry to stop serving (This makes me sick)

[WindHarvester]

The city has ordered an East Side food pantry to shut down.

Onyango Bashir-Muhammad has run the food pantry since 2005, but a city inspection this month called the building he uses unsafe.

Today, he served dozens of needy people anyway, setting up a table with bananas, peppers, lettuce and other produce outside the building at 1330 Atcheson St.

He let them inside to wait before distributing it.

"People need food," he said.

City inspectors went through the building on Jan. 5 after someone contacted the city's code enforcement office and complained, said Linda LaCloche, a city spokeswoman.

The city cited Bashir-Muhammad on Jan. 6 for a host of problems with the building.

Among them: missing covers on electrical junction boxes; no ventilation or fire suppression systems in the kitchen; and no city approval for converting a first-floor classroom into two rooms.

There were no signs inside indicating the maximum capacity.

Also, Bashir-Muhammad never asked the city to approve changing the use of the building, which years ago was a Columbus elementary school.

FULL STORY BELOW:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...shuts_down_east_side_food_pantry.html?sid=101

 

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[dirt doctor]

That's a real shame . I notice on the map it is real close to the airport . Some fat cat and friends probably wants to get to get either the property by itself or with the building for a song and put up an upscale restaurant .

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Sad story. Hopefully someon will step up to the plate and correct his violations so he can continue operating. The city could work with him rather than just shut him down.

Sounds kind of harsh to me.

These are hard times and no reason to make it any harder on those who are in need.

 

[WindHarvester]

I agree with both comments above, it's really sad that this guy is going out of his way to help people and they crap on him. I don't understand how these "decision makers" can sleep at night.

If I were closer to Columbus I would go fix things for him in a second, but to be honest I don't go to that city very often.

 

[KEYSHUNTER]

it seems the colder it gets the money to provide for these people out of work gets slimmer..it also makes me sad to see people in the mangroves with know way out unless they get picked up for trespassing to find a warm meal,again there are those that need it and those who are dirt bags