SHERBURNE – Few individuals would take it upon themselves to start a food pantry and help their neighbors, but that is exactly what former Sherburne resident Roy Priest decided to do in 2002. From that time until his death Feb. 1, Priest helped people in any way he could.
According to Sherburne Mayor William Acee, that was just the type of person he was. “Roy did this on his own,” Acee said, explaining he thought more people should know about the contributions Roy made to his community. “It was just a nice thing that he did for a lot of people,” the mayor said.
It took only one passing comment for Roy to decide he wanted to help the less fortunate people in the area find the food and necessities they needed. According to Barbara Priest, her husband loved to garden, and each year his garden got a little bigger. Roy was in the habit of sharing his home-grown veggies with his neighbors. “One day I told him, I think you’re planting enough vegetables to feed Sherburne,” Barbara recalls. That comment and a desire to help his Sherburne neighbors inspired Roy to start a food pantry.
Before he retired, Roy worked as a carpenter, and Barbara said she never dreamed he would decide to open a food pantry on his own, but that is exactly what he did.
Shortly after hearing Barbara’s comment, Roy got the necessary papers in order, and despite the fact that he didn’t drive, he made his way to Sherburne businesses with donation forms. “He walked the length of Sherburne with those forms for donations,” Barbara said.
The support of the local businesses was wonderful, and Roy was able to start giving food and vouchers from the apartment he and Barbara shared. “Word of mouth picked up and different businesses started to donate, and it grew from there,” Barbara said. “All of the businesses were very good and supportive.”
In addition to helping with food, Roy tried to help in other ways as well. When a Sherburne woman was diagnosed with cancer, Roy helped her receive gas vouchers so she could make the trip to Rochester for her treatment. There were also times when he tried to help people with electricity, fuel and rent. While there was not always a steady stream of people, Barbara estimates that Roy probably helped hundreds of people over the years, many on a regular basis.
“There were some months when we only heard from two people, and other times when we would get four or five a week,” Barbara said.
Barbara explained that Roy loved every minute he spent helping those around him. “Roy was the type who always put others before himself. He was proud of what he did,” she said.
On Feb. 1, Roy passed away at the age of 74, and while Barbara cannot carry on the duties of the food pantry on her own, she wanted to ensure the work Roy had started could continue in some fashion. After contacting the individuals who had made contributions to the food pantry, she donated the remaining balance of the food pantry account, over $850, to the Saint Malachy’s Food Pantry in Sherburne.
According to Barbara, Saint Malachy’s had a good relationship with the Priests, referring individuals to Roy when they were unable to help. “Roy was a wonderful, caring person. He helped many over the years, and he worked hard to get going,” Barbara said.