Canton food pantry head claims he was not made aware of tax issues

Last month, the Canton Township Board of Supervisors announced the local food pantry would close its doors after losing its tax-exempt status, but its operator disputes their characterization of the situation.
The IRS sent the Canton Volunteer Food Pantry a letter, dated March 18, notifying the organization that its tax-exempt status was being automatically revoked, effective Nov. 18, 2018.
“We haven’t received a response to the previous notice we sent asking you to file your annual information return or electronic notice,” the letter reads.
The letter also says that the pantry failed to file returns for three consecutive years.
Supervisor Thomas Bodnovich previously told the Observer-Reporter that the pantry had received several letters from the IRS since 2015.
“They never sent any letters,” said Ronald Harton, who was in charge of the pantry at the time of its closure.
If they had, however, Harton says he was never made aware of the issue until the IRS notified them the pantry was losing its tax-exempt status.
Harton assumed the responsibility of running the pantry in 2017 from Ken Bonnell, who started the organization in 2015.
The March letter is addressed to the previous address of the Canton Township municipal building at 655 Grove Ave. The location moved to 1265 W. Chestnut St. in the June 2018.
Harton would go to the municipal building to pick up the pantry’s mail. He said at a certain point, he was told he was not welcome at the building. He also accused township officials of opening the pantry’s mail, including bank statements.
Bodnovich disputes this.
“The food bank had a box here at the township building. He was the only one that picked up the mail at the township. Nobody opened that mail,” Bodnovich said.
Though Harton maintains he was not aware of the issues with the IRS, he offered an apology for what ultimately happened to the pantry.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t do this on purpose. It was an accident. I hated to do it to my friends and my volunteers who worked for the food pantry,” Harton said.