Cathedral City resident working to upgrade food pantry

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) - Kristina Bruno, a Cathedral City resident who started a food pantry outside her home near Century Park, is now upgrading her food pantry to comply with city codes.

News Channel 3 shared her story last week, after her food pantry went viral on the NextDoor app. Then, Cathedral City code enforcement asked her to remove the cabinet from the sidewalk within ten days.

"I was completely devastated. I cried. I didn't understand why there was so much pushback on helping our community that's in need," she says.

Bruno says the city asked her to downsize the pantry and create a sturdier structure if she wished to continue her effort to feed those in need.

"[Code enforcement] were afraid that somewhere a child might climb by or walking by would want to grab one of the cereal boxes from up here and it could fall on them," she says.

With the help of friends and neighbors, Bruno's family is building a new pantry to serve the community.