The administrator and founder of a Facebook group that links people in need of items with those who are giving things away says she sounded the alarm about the Neighbours in Need Facebook group years ago.

Neighbours in Need, which was formed during Snowmageddon by Cortney Barber, a Newfoundlander living in Alberta, recently shut down its page after a privacy breach involving information shared by the Single Parents Association of Newfoundland and Labrador sparked a firestorm of unrelated questions and complaints.

Carla Crotty was a member of Neighbours in Need years ago, but says she noticed a number of red flags early-on.

Crotty says she and other community advocates noticed back in 2020 that Neighbours in Need was accepting cash donations via email transfers, “something that we certainly do not do in our own Need Something, Got Something group.” She says when she started raising questions, “we were met with resistance, and while I don’t think I was ever blocked from the group, I was removed.”

Cortney Barber, the administrator of Neighbours in Need issued the following response following the closure of the page:

Firstly, since these initial allegations have started, I’ve been in the background trying to navigate this the best as possible, trying to continue to help as many people and tie up any loose ends that I can.

Since the decison to close the group, I have fulfilled the food request on the page with remaining donations, as well as concluded Christmas Miracles things that I was responsible for.

I’ve asked to have all the things at Peggy’s to be handed out to our community. There’s many items bought for this years recipients and a lot of food. However, I’m told that it will be given to another organization.

I’m well aware that this group of anonymous posters have a multitude of accusations and I think that’s to be expected from a group that hasn’t allowed any response and has blocked anyone with positive words or feedback. Personally, I’m not responding to these attacks and leaving it for proper authorities.

Just like this group was designed to only show positive, theirs is set up to only show negative and its understandable to have people who begrudge us for being strict and consistent over the last 5 years with a intolerance for nonsense and rules that everyone doesn’t agree with.

We have proudly served the community for almost 5 years and helped so many people. It’s so sad to me to think of all the people who will not get help this Christmas or with food help over lies and bullying, especially our seniors who have nowhere else to turn.

I’m deeply sorry to everyone effected, it’s now out of my hands.