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Diocese working to get St. Vincent back to feeding hungry
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
The St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall is still closed, but the Diocese of Youngstown intends to continue to feed the hungry.
“[Officials] are looking at all options to ensure the food program, as well as the other ministries provided by St. Vincent, will be intact,” said Monsignor John Zuraw, chancellor for the diocese.
However, Monsignor Zuraw would not discuss the options being considered to feed the hungry several days after the hall was closed.
The dining hall, at 208 W. Front St., was closed after an inspection by the Mahoning County Building Inspection Department found the facility is unsafe. A safety inspection found a collapsed ceiling above a second-floor office, rotting floor under compartment sinks on the first floor and rotting floor-joist tails in the basement of the building.
An employee complaint led to the safety hazard inspection June 23.
The building was constructed in 1945 and remodeled in 1974. The society took ownership of the building in 1984, according to the county auditor’s website.
Last Friday was the last day meals were served inside the hall.
“They’ve got in touch with contractors, and they are waiting for the contractors to come in,” said Wayne Murray, dining hall manager.
The cost to repair the problems at the dining hall is still unknown.
“Donations are still greatly appreciated for support as far as repairs,” Murray said. “We are definitely going to need help.”
It’s still not clear when the dining hall will reopen.
When the dining hall had some parts of the ceiling collapse last month, food still was prepared inside but served outside. Murray explained that now there’s no place to prepare the food to be able serve it outside.
“We are working hard to make sure the needs of the less fortunate are taken care of,” Monsignor Zuraw said.
The dining hall operates under a local board made up of presidents of individual parishes’ Society of St. Vincent de Paul conferences. The diocese has no contractual authority over the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Mahoning County.
Monsignor Zuraw maintained that the St. Vincent de Paul Society is a “very solvent group” with “exceptional” volunteers.
“We are committed to feeding the hungry,” Monsignor Zuraw said. “We are working very vigorously to get this started. All of the options are on the table. Our chief concern is to feed the poor and to make sure they have the basic necessities for every day.”
Our Community Kitchen, another dining hall for the needy, is at 551 Mahoning Ave. Also, the Youngstown Dorothy Day House on Belmont Avenue has dinner several nights a week.
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, 317 Via Mt. Carmel Ave., is still open.