CLEVELAND — We're following through after Bigman's Family Center food pantry officially closed for the final time.
The building on Kinsman Road has gone into foreclosure and has been acquired by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank for, quote “the unsanitary, unkempt, unhealthy state of the entire building, including the food pantry."
For years, the owner of Bigman's Family Center, Sauriika Lockett, has worked tirelessly to feed the Garden Valley and central Kinsman neighborhoods. For Lockett, her mission is personal.
“I know what it’s like to not have it,” said Lockett. "It’s a personal endeavor for me to make sure that you know there is a way out. There is a different path you can take. You don't have to be a product of your environment.”
Though four walls don’t define a person or a non-profit, it’s defining Bigman's Family Center.
Lockett has been evicted by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank which acquired the property.
The Cleveland Food Bank also terminated its partnership with the pantry on July 18.
“I said hell no, I am not going,” Lockett said. “I am here and I am going to fight to the end for this community.”
The eviction comes after a year of challenges that News 5 has been following.
In August of 2023, Bigman’s pantry was forced to close after a Cleveland Food Bank inspection found evidence of mice and serious cleanliness issues.
The pantry eventually reopened in September after passing a second site visit.
“I am not going to say there haven’t been mice,” said Lockett. “This is a shed that is open to the outdoors there are going to be mice period. We don’t have rats, we don't have major rodents of that nature.”
Lockett had the opportunity to purchase the building from the land bank but didn't have the money.
In a statement, the Cuyahoga County Land Bank said quote:
“The unsanitary, unkempt, unhealthy state of the entire building including the food pantry is the reason we are evicting the tenant off the property. We could not in good conscience allow this operation to continue. Before the eviction, we had agreed to sell the property to the Bigman Center for $25,000, but they failed to complete the sale. The money has absolutely no bearing on our eviction decision.”
The Land bank then sent News 5 over 100 photos of the conditions inside the building, which Lockett denies had anything to do with food operations.
“None of this is the pantry,” Lockett said.
While we were there, our News 5 cameras also caught a mouse running out of the pantry, being chased by a cat.
“Would you say this is sanitary?” asked New 5’s Bryn Caswell.
“I would say it’s sanitary because we keep it clean,” Lockett responded.
Ward 5 Cleveland City Councilman Richard A. Starr said it’s time for different ownership, and he’s working with community partners to figure out a solution.
“It's like it's just a tough situation, but as the Councilman of Ward 5, I am committed to working with these organizations to make sure these services continue, but it possibly needs a different operator who can be able to own and manage the facility to help,” Starr said.
Lockett said she's open to moving locations, but she'll need funding.
“If this food pantry leaves that means, there’s no Thanksgiving, there’s no holiday distribution, there's not coats for kids,” said Lockett.
Lockett said in the original agreement she had until July 31st at 5 o'clock to collect the $25,000 and turn it into the land bank. However, the land bank said since the facility no longer receives support from the food bank which means the previous agreement is no longer being honored.
In response to the terminated partnership with the pantry, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank said quote:
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank (GCFB) provides food to more than 1,000 program partners in a six- county services area. Food safety and quality of service are of the utmost importance: each partner signs an annual agreement and agrees to adhere to important guidelines around proper food handling/storage, cleanliness, and safe food distribution.
Over the last year, after receiving community complaints of unsanitary conditions, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank compliance team conducted site visits with Bigman’s Family Center located at 7100 Kinsman Rd. These site visits revealed serious pest and cleanliness issues that needed to be addressed. Over the past year, the GCFB has been working to resolve these issues with the volunteers at Bigman’s Family Center, but there has been no noticeable improvement. In addition, the building in which Bigman’s Family Center was distributing food out of went into foreclosure and was acquired by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank.
Providing a sanitary, safe and clean environment that meets all food safety standards is a requirement for partnering with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. In addition, the GCFB prides itself on being good stewards of community resources while maintaining compliance requirements of state, federal, and national contracts. The GCFB recently made the decision to end our partnership with Bigman’s Family Center effective July 18, 2024.
We are working with a number of community partners to ensure that there are adequate food resources available for neighbors in need, and we encourage neighbors to visit a nearby hunger center for assistance (list attached). In addition, anyone who might be in need of food resources can call the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Help Center at 216-738-2067. over the past year, the GCFB has been working to resolve these issues with the volunteers at Bigman’s Family Center, but there has been no noticeable improvement.”
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has provided a list of surrounding food drives happening near the Kinsman neighborhood.
