Some 20 families lined up to receive diapers and other essentials on a recent afternoon in Hartford. Among them was Angela Perez.
鈥淚鈥檝e been [coming] here because they鈥檝e helped me with food and diapers. Now we found out they鈥檙e closing,鈥� Perez said in Spanish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a huge help to me and many other moms.鈥�
The Guatemalan mother took advantage of the food pantry during the pandemic, as did hundreds of undocumented families. La Bodeguita de la Gente, or The People鈥檚 Little Cornerstore, once handed out food, diapers and clothing from a basement in Frog Hollow, the heart of the Latino and immigrant community. The project started in a Peruvian mother鈥檚 living room, expanded, relocated and now faces eviction.
Founder Xiomy de la Cruz says the basement once filled with food, clothes, diapers and essentials is nearly empty.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very difficult moment for me and for La Bodeguita de la Gente,鈥� de la Cruz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very unfortunate that we have to close down. At the same time we are trying to keep our operations going from our home.鈥�
Co-founder Ingmar Riveros says much of what they鈥檝e built has been with the help of donations and the work of volunteers. The grassroots project operated from a basement in a commercial storefront. Recently, the commercial tenant on the lease was evicted for nonpayment. That meant the pantry had to go, too.
鈥淪o basically, as he got evicted, so were we, because we weren鈥檛 on the lease. He picked up his things and left,鈥� Riveros said.
La Bodeguita鈥檚 volunteers have moved what鈥檚 left of their pantry to a storage facility.
In the past months, the food pantry also became a vaccine clinic and a place that facilitated information sessions on domestic violence prevention and eviction.
De la Cruz says they鈥檙e looking for a new place to relocate, but finding the necessary funding has been difficult.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to think about all of the families that depend on this pantry,鈥� de la Cruz said. 鈥淚t breaks my heart to have to turn away families, many of them with small children.鈥�
Brenda Le贸n is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
