‘Heartbreaking’: Community outraged after west Lincoln pantry repeatedly vandalized

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Strangers are spoiling a community food pantry in a Lincoln neighborhood.

Officials at Willard Community Center said its pantry is being vandalized multiple times every month.

“It’s heartbreaking when we come and we see the contents of it in the parking lot or in the pantry and are unusable,” Executive Director Sarah Reinke said.  

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The pantry has been operating at this location for at least five years and is open 24/7 to anyone who needs food. 

She said the need for the pantry has grown recently and said it’s sad that people would destroy it. 

“I’ll see people loading it up with just amazing things and then, a couple of minutes later, when I look out the window, it’s completely empty,” Reinke said. “With the inflation of groceries and the cost of baby formula, this pantry is used all the time.” 

Reinke says neighbors are helping watch over the pantry.  

“When they see that there has been something dumped inside the box, they come with their bucket of soapy water and scrub it for us,” she said.