Westbay Community Action Inc — Local services in Warwick

Overall this is a GREAT community action agency. So much good has been done for people here and this agency has expanded over the years. HOWEVER,🙄🙄🙄 The staff that deals directly with clients seem overworked and overwhelmed by the amount of people they deal with., I have gone there on two separate occasions with 2 different people and heard clients being spoken to and about in a way that should NEVER occur at a social agency. First the receptionist was extremely LOUD and RUDE in her comments to a person who was in need or in crisis. Secondly you should NOT have to go into DETAIL about your situation at a window.while there are other people listening. That is what an appointment is for. I felt very sad for the individual being subjected to this LOUDLY. The second incident occurred when my friend who is a senior was getting food and I heard the woman talking about clients as "THEY" and "THEM" and "THESE PEOPLE" while sitting at a desk.. I am not sure if this person in the grocery section is a paid staff member or voluteer. Either way I never forgot hearing those words spoken about people in need at this agency. Sorry Westbay Community Action,you might help people ultimately, but they pay for that help by being verbally...

I am the care taker for a recently widowed elderly woman. Due to her loss, I have twice driven to West Bay to help her obtain groceries--i. e., essential nutrition. Additionally, I pickup groceries for my elderly mother, uncle, and pastor who is on mandatory quarantine. The West Bay staff interrogate me during each attempt to get groceries. They inform me that I can only pickup groceries once a month. If the groceries were for me I would understand, but I am driving for others who cannot or otherwise should not leave their homes. I am making these trips at my own expense, thus I can only go when it's convenient for me. I cannot drive around the state to other food closets as the West Bay staff have instructed. This food appeas to come from the RI Community Food Bank, thus it seems counter intuitive to go to three locations to get food for three people, when it is available at one location. Shame on West Bay staff for shaming...

Had a volunteer there that didn't understand English just stood and looked at me with my walker I said I could wait for someone else to help me because how the heck am I going to use a walker and push a carrige dah. Couldn't understand her at all don't know if she was Jamaican or not but if you don't want to be there don't volunteer. She had no clue what she was doing and kept saying only 1 product well I have family I pointed to the sign said I get this amount for my family size. Then at end of picking things out I tried to bag the items and she was getting upset 😡 she just put items in my trunk with not being bagged so she could get the cart back in talk about being rushed. Oh I got snipped at for trying to take 2 very small bars of dove soap...