Beginning this July, the Community Table of Albion will no longer be operating out of Wesley.
The Community Table, a program that was created to address food insecurity in Albion, moved into Wesley in 2021. According to their website, a drive-through food service is offered, which requires recipients to pick up food boxes at the dock on the west side of the building. Recently, a food pantry option was added, permitting people to enter Wesley’s basement to select specific food items. These services allowed the Community Table to “feed Albion families 16,000 times last year,” Albion Health Care Alliance Executive Director Jessica Mitchell said.
On Monday, a community meeting was held at the First United Methodist Church to discuss location changes. Mitchell said that finding a suitable new spot to keep supporting Albion residents is a “main priority.”
“In the last year, our pantry number has almost tripled,” Mitchell said. “So the need for it has increased.”
According to President Wayne Webster, the decision to end this service in Wesley was the result of two issues that were brought to his attention this year.
The first issue involved two reports of Community Table workers slipping on snow and ice during the winter months. These slips occurred due to a lack of space in the Wesley parking lot, forcing people to park on the unshoveled grass nearby.
Webster said no one was hospitalized, but the incidents “clearly got to a point where they were brought to (his) attention.” Mitchell, who fell on the icy ground in February, said that she and the other person who slipped are “fine.”
The second issue entailed a recent incident in which a volunteer was found in an area of the building where food pantry services were not available. In an email to the Albion student body from the president’s office on March 26, Webster said that people without proper background checks are not allowed to enter any campus residence halls.
“While the volunteer left the floor when asked and no malintent is suspected, this is not a risk I am willing to take,” said Webster’s email.
Temporary Restrictions
The Community Table will continue to offer drive-through services as normal through mid-July, but the food pantry will no longer be available. Program and Outreach Manager Amanda Cheladyn said that a “short-term solution” is necessary.
“We need to keep feeding people now and find a long-term solution later,” Cheladyn said.
Webster said the college gave the option to move the food pantry to restricted areas surrounding the dock on the west side of the building.
The Community Table decided to “just focus on the drop-off service,” Webster said.
During drive-through times, Webster said people can enter Wesley to use the bathroom if needed.
“One or two people who work with the food pantry will have a key,” Webster said. “If somebody needs to use the restroom, they could get escorted by a volunteer who’s gone through a background check.”
The Future of the Community Table
Albion College is working with the Community Table to find a new location for its food services. According to a press release posted on the Community Table’s Facebook page by Mitchell, the program is “exploring all options, including another space owned by Albion College and spaces in the Albion community.”
Webster said he is unable to reveal the college property that is being considered, adding it is not a residential hall, “to avoid repeating the same issue that we have currently.”
Mitchell said she is “confident” that the Community Table will be able to find a place that provides the services it needs to function properly.
“We’re not sure where our new home will be,” Mitchell said. “But I am very optimistic that our community will come together and we will figure it out.”
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