Safety changes made at Westland food pantry after two men intimidate volunteers, clear shelves
Since opening its doors in 2023, owner Elizabeth Freeman says her nonprofit, Elmwood Blessing Box, has helped more than 10,000 families in Westland.
"We're averaging 100 to 120 families a day. It's roughly a two-day supply. So, you get one of this item, three of this item, five of this item," said Freeman.
On Monday night, those rules were disregarded. Freeman says two men, whose faces were blurred in a video for privacy, were caught on the organization's cameras and took much more than allowed.
"For the first like four or five minutes, one man had already taken twenty items off the shelf that they're only allowed to take five items from," Freeman said.
Freeman tells CBS News Detroit that her volunteers repeatedly told the men how many items they could take, but were brushed off, and says the men allegedly reeked of alcohol.
"It was the first time that our volunteers felt like they were nervous, they were scared, they were intimidated," said Freeman. "We did not (call the police). They weren't in the right state of mind, and so we are trying to show grace, while also making sure people are aware that it's not welcome here," Freeman said.
Shelves have since been restocked. The pantry, however, is now stepping up its safety protocols.
The nonprofit relies entirely on donations and cannot afford security, but has plans to train volunteers with de-escalation techniques to prevent future incidents.
In the meantime, Freeman has the following message:
"When you are doing this to food pantries, you're not hurting the food pantries. You're not hurting anybody except for the other people in the same situation you are that are just trying to get the help they need," Freeman stated.
The nonprofit is always looking for donations. If you would like to support Elmwood Blessing Box, you can visit their website to learn more.