MONTPELIER, Vt.—Advocates say closing a cafeteria at the Vermont State Hospital will deny patients an essential part of their treatment.
The state announced last month that it would close the canteen in Waterbury in early December to save $150,000 next year. Michael Hartman, commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health, says the alternative was reducing the number of staff.
About two dozen people gathered at the Statehouse on Friday to protest the closure. Former patient Joshua Malcolm Sawyer says most patients spend their days in locked wards, and visiting the canteen to buy snacks and socialize was the only thing that gave him hope of a more normal life.
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