Donor will provide lunches near shuttered dining hall Wednesday

YOUNGSTOWN — An anonymous donor and former volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul Society will bring lunch back to those in need on Wednesday.

The donor was upset after reading The Vindicator’s article on the downtown St. Vincent de Paul Society’s temporary closure and wanted to do something so those who utilize the dining hall do not go hungry.

The society typically serves lunches to about 200 to 250 people daily during the week.

Brown bag lunches with sandwiches and other items will be handed out starting at 11 a.m. at the parking lot across from St. Vincent de Paul Society on Front Street downtown.

The donor contacted the society’s former dining hall manager, Ralph "Skip" Barone, on Tuesday. The dining hall was closed on Monday after Barone resigned and volunteers walked out after a series of disagreements with society management.

“I was very excited,” Barone said of the donation.

Barone said there’s enough funding to make lunches for the rest of the week and the donor will provide more funds if needed.