Community Corner

Former Director of Carol's Kitchen Charity Accused of Abusing Thousands in Donated Funds

Jim McConnell and four Carol's Kitchen board members who supported McConnell resigned May 18, according to charity founders Jim and Arlene Ragan and treasurer Rich Asman.

The former executive director of Carol's Kitchen has been accused of spending thousands of dollars of funds from the charity for his personal use, and four board members who supported him have resigned, according to the founders and the treasurer of Carol's Kitchen.

Jim McConnell, who had been with Carol's Kitchen since 1998, had been in charge at Carol's Kitchen since 2005, charity co-founder Arlene Ragan said in a phone interview this week.

McConnell could not be reached to comment for this report.

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McConnell and four Carol's Kitchen board members who supported McConnell resigned May 18, and founders Jim and Arlene Ragan have returned to help lead the charity, the Ragans and Carol's Kitchen treasurer Rich Asman said in interviews this week.

The shakeup occurred May 18 during a board meeting at Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen in Banning, the Ragans said. Russo, one of the board members who resigned, declined to comment Thursday for this report.

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The other board members who resigned, Mark Hodnick, Eugene Wood and Onoalyse Lyons, could not be reached for comment.

The only board members who did not resign May 18 were Asman and Ed Barba, Asman and the Ragans said.

More than 100 charity volunteers in Beaumont, Banning and Cabazon have been informed of the change in leadership, and the allegations against McConnell were detailed in letters signed by the Ragans and mailed this week to about 60 Pass area business leaders, donors, elected officials and law enforcement agencies, Asman said.

Carol's Kitchen, one of the Pass area's largest charities, serves about 1,000 meals a week to hungry and homeless people at seven locations in Beaumont, Banning and Cabazon, according to charity estimates.

The charity relies on donations to feed the hungry and its current budget calls for spending about $5,800 a month, Asman said.

Mismanagement and abuse of Carol's Kitchen funding under McConnell nearly bankrupted the charity, Asman said.

"Five years ago there was $300,000 in Carol's Kitchen accounts, and today we're down to $50,000," Asman said Wednesday.

Asman said he has receipts showing McConnell abused at least $27,000 in Carol's Kitchen funds.

Specific receipts show McConnell used a Carol's Kitchen credit card and checks for personal expenses such as $1,212 for plumbing, painting and electrical work on his home, $1,235 for blinds for his home, and $1,005 to clean out a septic tank at his home, Asman said.

"He had total control of the checking account, cash and credit cards," the Ragans said in their June 8 letter to business leaders and donors. "There were also major concerns about the abuses of the laws and regulations of a non-profit organization."

The Ragans have approached Banning and Beaumont police with their concerns, the chiefs of both departments said in interviews Thursday.

Banning police were awaiting the results of a forensic audit of the charity's finances before deciding on whether to take any action, Banning police Chief Leonard Purvis said.

Whatever the outcome of the forensic audit, there would be jurisdictional issues to address because the charity's post office box address is in Calimesa, Purvis said.

Beaumont police had not opened any type of criminal investigation as of Thursday, Beaumont police Chief Frank Coe said.

"If they are doing a forensic audit and any misconduct is determined to have occurred in the city of Beaumont, we will look into that," Coe said.

Asman said Thursday he could not release the list of people the Ragans' letter was addressed to.

The text of the letter is attached to this report in a pdf file.

Carol's Kitchen has served more than 500,000 meals since it was founded in 1998, according to the charity's web site.


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