PROVO, Utah — A Provo food bank and resource center is closing down amid a cash flow crisis - despite the community rallying to its aid and raising more than $100,000 in recent weeks.
FOX 13 News first reported on the financial shortfall Community Action Services and Food Bank (CASFB) faced on October 20th, when the organization issued an urgent call for donations.
At the time, officials said the organization needed $100,000 by October 30th to maintain essential services.
“That $100,000 allows us to keep the doors open, so that we have the staff, the space that we need to provide services,” said Jessica Miller, CASFB’s Chief Impact Officer, on October 20. “It’s heartbreaking, because I know that should we close, there’s so many families that wouldn’t have the resources to be putting food on the table for their kids.”
In a matter of days, community members came together and helped them to hit that goal, with city leaders in Provo telling us that two private donors raised $50,000 each.
Yet Community Action is now planning to temporarily close its doors on November 1st, creating uncertainty for clients, employees, donors and more.
A press release sent out Friday stated that its board of trustees will be trying to determine the organization’s sustainability into the future amid the closure.
The organization points to declining grant funding and donations amid a difficult financial environment and increasing demand for services.
However, county leaders say the closure is ‘in no way a consequence of a lack of support’ from local or state government.
In a statement Saturday, Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran called the closure a travesty, saying the crucial organization provided critical services to more than 20,000 residents and employed over 50 people.
But he also talked about the cause of the closure, saying in part:
“Years of financial and operational mismanagement, coupled with a recent escalation of financial instability, should not be mistaken for a failure of the government partners who have consistently supported these programs and services.”
In our October 20 interview with Community Action, they noted multiple changes in leadership that were made once their board realized the full extent of their financial issues.
Effective immediately, the organization is no longer accepting donations of any kind, and it’s unclear how long this closure may last.
At least one resource will stay available, as Utah County Government already stepped in to support the warming center for winter. That opens November 1st, and community action officials say it is now under the county’s direction.
But Commissioner Beltran noted that several furloughed employees will volunteer at the shelter to support the transition, adding, ‘Their continued dedication to serving others, even in the face of their own uncertainty, speaks volumes about their character.’
FOX 13 News reached back out to CASFB officials to learn more about the closure but were told that the board had no further comment at this time.