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Soup Kitchen finds warehouse

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE Chuck Desmarais is a relieved. The vice president of Lorain's Soup Kitchen was worried about where to locate the kitchen's food pantry warehouse and the city came to the rescue.

Desmarais said the closed Chapin School would be the new home of the warehouse, until the administration of the soup kitchen can find a permanent home for the warehouse.

Desmarais was concerned because a large food drive is taking place this week at Chicopee High School a drive that yielded seven tons of foods last year and he literally had no place to put it.

The soup kitchen facility on Center Street is too small to hold all of the donated food it receives, he explained.

The warehouse had been in the Cabotville Industrial Park, and Desmarais said the owners of the complex had asked the soup kitchen to vacate its 2,000 square foot of space within 45 days. He said he had no complaints with the landlord and was complying with his wishes.

Desmarais did admit that with the Chicopee High food drive looming, he was getting desperate. In May, there will be an even larger drive sponsored by the postal workers that usually collects about 15 tons of food for the soup kitchen.

He said the response from the community about finding a temporary space had been gratifying and that he has met with one local firm about a permanent location.

"It's very, very promising," he said.