People's Pantry reopens after Dallas officials close the community food bank
UPDATE: CBS News Texas' Robbie Owens followed up with The People's Pantry. The community fridge started offering food again July 28. Owner Akwete Tyehimba confirmed she's going to work with the city to meet all of the struggles that often show up at those tables to address the issues Dallas Code Compliance cited.
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - In Oak Cliff, a community is asking questions as word spreads that a popular "leave what you can and take what you need" sidewalk pantry is being shut down.
The People's Pantry has operated with a donated fridge and picnic tables since the height of the pandemic outside of the Pan African Connection Bookstore on Marsalis. Owner Akwete Tyehimba says Dallas Code Compliance showed up last week, telling her she needed to shut it down.
"Even that day people were driving up asking, 'no food? no food?'" shares Tyehimba. "And I had to explain to them that the city of Dallas code compliance asked us to take the food down because we didn't have a permit. We couldn't pass out food because we were enabling all of the few homeless people in the area."
Yet those who have come to depend on the "no questions asked" food resource in the community say the move makes no sense-- and that it's primarily working families needing help.
"This was the community helping each other!" shared an obviously furious Olinka Green.
Green says when things were tight financially, the People's Pantry allowed her to feed her family when city resources were not available and disputes that the effort enables homelessness.
"It's not just homeless people--this is a working-class community," sad Green. "These are people who are struggling every day just to pay their rent, to keep their lights on, to keep their water on, and this was a godsend."
The bookstore owner turned pantry operator says she's heartbroken that the community resource has gotten in the crosshairs of city hall, but what she can't understand is why.
"People give out food all across the city every day simply because there is a need," says Tyehimba. "So, we're not doing anything different than most food pantries are doing. And we just want to know what it is we need, to continue to do the work that we do."
Work, she says, that feeds children and families.
"It's heartbreaking because the other day, a family, a Hispanic family, the mother had two small children, probably under two or three and she was pregnant and her husband was with her and they needed food," explains Tyehimba. "I gave them a can opener because he wanted to open the can right then to feed his children."
Children who were hungry, but not when city offices were open.
"Because of the inflation, people are really having a hard time buying food. So, the need is still there."
And it is a point of pride, she says, in a community that has so little that those who find themselves with any extra food are willing to share.
"I was just telling my friend-- 'hey! I don't see the table'!" exclaimed neighbor Kenneth Hill as he saw the cardboard boxes sitting on the sidewalk.
He was dropping by with donations, saying, "I'm just so blessed," so he donates extra food quite often.
"Sometimes when I bring the food, they come right behind me and get it-- 'thank you-- thank you!'," shares Hill. "They help me get it out the car. And now we can't do that anymore? That just doesn't make any sense."
Tyehimba has already removed the community refrigerator and picnic tables. But most don't even notice the hand-written sign in the window warning those who need food that code compliance is shutting the effort down. Neighbors continued to drop off food and take some of what remained.
Calls to Dallas Code Compliance so far have not been returned. But supporters insist that this conversation isn't over.
"We're doing what they ask. We have to. You know, they have the power," says Tyehimba who adds that she has not received any written notice of a violation. "But we do want to get the permit that we need, to continue to do this work."
