For the past four years, Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA) has been looking for a new home. The organization provides food and other emergency assistance to residents of Minnetonka, Hopkins, Excelsior, Deephaven, Shorewood, Greenwood and Woodland. It includes a food shelf, and it's a place people can turn to when they're having trouble making ends meet.

ICA and its volunteers are adept at making the donations they receive benefit as many people as possible. Whether it's the makings of a Thanksgiving meal or money to repair a car that allows a resident to keep a job, ICA is there to offer a helping hand to the communities it serves.

With a mission like this, who wouldn't want ICA as a neighbor?

Apparently many residents of the neighborhood around the Episcopal Parish of St. David.

Last week, the Minnetonka City Council gave the necessary approvals for St. David's to construct a new building that ICA will use, so ICA will get its sought-after new home. However, letters included with the City Council's informational packet show that some residents view a food shelf in their neighborhood as a bad thing.

There is a flyer that St. Davids parishioners found on their windshields after services on Sunday, Feb. 26. In all capital letters, the notice told parishioners to "URGE YOUR CHURCH LEADERS TO SEEK A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR THIS FACILITY." While the notice didn't specify a desired location, it did say that ICA should be in "a place that will be more accessible to the 50 percent of its users who will be coming from Hopkins."

The flyer stated concerns about traffic and implied that the proposed building would cause "significant noise and degradation to the natural and historic character of this beloved neighborhood."

Then there are these comments, sent by Kris Bigalk Burgoyne in an e-mail to City Council members and City Manager John Gunyou on April 3:

"Having what amounts to a grocery store and distribution center in the neighborhood will increase traffic exponentially - and not quiet traffic, but loud, smelly trucks at all hours of the day. Our children, who are used to being able to play freely around the little-used streets, will be at risk, both from the large vehicle traffic and the potentially criminal element such a facility would attract. People impoverished enough to seek out free food are often substance abusers and petty criminals, who are likely to carry out crimes against property and people as well - especially those close by, in a prestigious suburb such as Minnetonka."

What evidence is there of a "criminal element" being attracted to ICA's facility? The staff report to council members states that the Minnetonka Police Department checked its records of calls to ICA's present Williston Road facility. Since Jan. 1, 2005, there were no police calls related to the food shelf.

A letter from a resident who lives near the Williston Road building supports this. Pat Strandberg wrote that the one time a police car was seen at the food shelf, it was because a volunteer had a medical emergency.

Strandberg went on to write, "The concern that the food shelf will draw inner city residents can be allayed, as anyone who requests food needs to prove local residence or they are denied service.

"If anyone still has concerns regarding ICA moving into their neighborhood, I would suggest they volunteer and find out for themselves what a blessing this service is."

Letters from others who live near the Williston Road location also tout ICA as a good neighbor. John and Sharon Beardsley, who live across the street from ICA, wrote that it is a gentle, unobtrusive and commendable neighbor.

To his credit, one neighbor of the new ICA wrote a welcome for it. Joe Schmit, who said he lives about 1,000 feet from St. David's, wrote that he thinks it's great that ICA is moving to the neighborhood.

It's too bad that others in the neighborhood don't share Schmit's sentiments. By assuming that an organization helping those in need will be frequented by criminals, the opponents of ICA are degrading the character of the neighborhood.

In their letter, the Beardsleys call ICA "Minnetonka's Good Samaritan" and write, "Sadly, those who oppose ICA's move are actually slapping the hand of the Good Samaritan."

It's nice to know that in the St. David's neighborhood, at least there'll be one Good Samaritan.