CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A weekend fire at the Irving Park Community Food Pantry means hundreds of people will have to wait another week to get groceries.
Executive Director John Psiharis said he believes the fire started when some kids set off fireworks in a garbage can outside Emmanuel United Methodist Church on New Year’s Eve. The police didn’t find those responsible but he hopes they acknowledge what they did.
“At the very least, I would like the kids that are responsible to realize the impact that this behavior had on the broader community,” Psiharis told WBBM Newsradio.
The fire damage to the church and the pantry in the basement was minor but Psiharis said the smoke damage must be addressed this week.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s something that’s way beyond our ability to control and we’re certainly not going to put our volunteers or our clients into a building that we’ve been warned has toxic fumes in it,” he said.
The closure means upwards of 100 families will have to wait until Tuesday of next week to get food.
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