Westland food pantry Elmwood Blessing Box ransacked

Westland food pantry attacked

Elmwood Blessing Box has an interesting story; it started 2.5 years ago in front of a home and has since blossomed into a resource for people in need. They don't ask for much, just that people take items as needed and provide their name and zip code.

WESTLAND, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Westland food pantry reports that a group of men came in and ransacked their location where the men ignored the volunteers, and the incident was caught on camera.

Big picture view:

Elmwood Blessing Box has an interesting story as it started almost three years ago in front of a home and has since blossomed into a resource for people in need. 

They don't ask for much, just that people take items as needed and provide their name and zip code. 

When the men came in and took what they wanted, it didn't just affect the pantry but also everyone who relies on their services.

"They weren’t listening to the volunteers," said co-founder Angela Stewart. "The volunteers felt very intimidated. They were told multiple times they could only take so much, but they just didn’t care. From what I was told, they smelled strongly of alcohol. I think they came in and thought they could do what they wanted, and the rules didn’t matter. We try hard, we try very hard. We don’t know everybody’s story, and it’s hard."

Dig deeper:

Many might wonder why they didn’t file a police report. It's because of the grace they're extending, recognizing that times are really difficult for folks right now. As their founder Elizabeth Freeman says, 'it's not the 98% of people, but the 2%,' and they're not letting that deter them.

They are considering changing some hours to continue serving their community effectively.