Police were called to the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax Wednesday morning to help sort out a dispute over personnel changes.

Sharon Brown says she was dismissed as assistant executive director and now Mel Boutilier, the longtime executive director of the organization, says his future there is uncertain as well.

“It devastated everybody here. It devastated me. It devastated other employees,” says Brown.

For 31 years, Boutilier has been an advocate for the poor and has received numerous public service awards for his work, including the Order of Canada.

But Boutilier says there have been personnel changes at the organization and he isn’t sure if he wants to work there anymore.

“There have been some challenges there at the furniture bank so I decided to write the board and tell them I’m taking a leave of absence,” he says.

Boutilier plans to return to his volunteer position on Dec. 13 to supervise the Christmas Box program, but after that, he’s not sure if he will return to the food bank.

“I’m not quite sure. The board took an action to replace me with somebody else when I was in the hospital and since I’ve been back at work, that person has still been continuing on until January.”

Roy Uffindell, the food bank’s operations manager, told CTV News that Boutilier hasn’t resigned but is on some sort of unspecified leave. He wouldn’t comment further on the matter.

People who volunteer at the food bank say it would be devastating to lose Boutilier, who has dedicated so much of his time to the organization and to helping those in need.

“He’s a humble man and he wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin the good work that he has done, and that is why you don’t see him here,” says volunteer Olugu Ukpai.

People who once turned to the food bank for support are now showing their support for Boutilier.

“Mel is an amazing person. He does wonderful things for the public and people in need and he would be greatly missed I’m sure, by everybody in the community, if he does not come back,” says John Keating.

Boutilier says he doesn’t want any change in leadership to interfere with donations or the work done at Parker Street.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw