Rev. Eileen Steele felt physically ill after learning someone would purposely harm those her community is trying to help.
Steele, the priest at the Anglican Parish of Penetanguishene, said she was at first taken aback and then felt sick after hearing someone spit and then coughed all over items left in a food cupboard located just outside All Saints Church, Monday evening.
“I felt violated; I felt everything everybody has done had been violated,” said Steele, who noted police are now looking into the incident.
While Steele didn’t witness the incident outside the Peel St. church, one of her parishioners did and Steele was quickly alerted.
“The person who saw it, reported it to their spouse who knows where I live. Somebody came in and got me,” said Steele, who rushed to the cupboard to clean and sanitize it.
“I sterilized all of what was in there and sprayed it (the cupboard) down,” she said, adding she had a very restless night’s sleep because she couldn’t understand why someone would stoop this low.
A request for comment from police wasn't received in time for this article.
Steele, meanwhile, officially opened the deacon’s cupboard two years ago with it now known as June’s Cupboard, a nod to parishioner June Marian.
And while Steele noted she was initially hesitant about leaving the cupboard unlocked moving forward, she thought of how much people rely on it.
"It's not about me, it's about the community and how blessed we are that the community keeps it full," said Steele. "I did lock it the night when the cupboard was violated. I was horrified that that happened. It actually made me sick and I was awake the whole night trying to figure my way through it.
"Because I thought again, I can't hurt the many because of a few or even one. (The perpetrator) just can't do that. And then the next morning, bright and early, I got up and filled the cupboard again."
Steele also offered her profound thanks to those who continue to donate and leave nonperishable goods in the cupboard.
“The people of Midland and Penetanguishene, God bless them, just keep doing it (donating). The people keep needing it and taking it and the people keep filling it.
“We’re not going to hurt the many because of one. I refuse to do that. So we’re sterilizing and we constantly spray it down.”
The parish also hosted a free Easter dinner a couple of weeks ago.
"We had close to 100 people receive a takeout Easter dinner and everything we gave out was donated by the community," she said, noting they also run a breakfast and lunch program for children.
"The need is massive in both communities as well as in Tay and Tiny. In the meantime, the cupboard is full. And we spray it down and keep everyone safe. Most important thing that we can do is feed them and keep them safe."
And that's the big picture, according to Steele, who pointed out continuing goodwill and helping others in any way one can is really what life's about.
"We have to be the body of Christ in the world," she said. "And that means you feed people, you love people, you care about people, you nurture people.
"You do everything you can to help people."
