A volunteer's possible exposure to the coronavirus led the Butler Chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to close its food bank for the remainder of the week.

Typically open mornings Mondays through Fridays, the organization decided to shut the food bank down starting Tuesday after learning a volunteer's close relative contracted COVID-19, according to Dennis Slupe, the organization's business manager.

Slupe noted the volunteer has already been tested and is currently awaiting the results, which could take a few days to return.

Slupe said the organization reached out to the state's Department of Health for guidance on how to respond to the possible virus threat, but decided in the meantime to shut down the food bank where the volunteer worked.

“We're waiting for all this stuff to come back and then we'll make a decision,” Slupe said about plans for next week. “It will take a couple of days. We're not sure about next week. That's dependent on results.”

Located at 146 N. Monroe St., the food bank has operated during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Slupe said the food bank had about 60 to 70 people per week scheduled to receive food. He believed they will be directed to other food banks in the county, such as the one at the Lighthouse Foundation at 116 Browns Hill Road in Middlesex Township.

“At this point for the COVID-19 pandemic, they can go to another food bank without any questions,” Slupe said.

He added the food bank's shutdown does not extend to St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store in the Greater Butler Mart, which remains open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

The food bank's perishable food will be sent to another food bank or soup kitchen, Slupe added.

When asked when he thought the food bank might reopen, Slupe said, “We are just waiting for the results to come back. We are following the state regulations on what we need to do.”

Butler Eagle staff writer Eric Freehling contributed to this report.