SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A Julian-based nonprofit organization said it is no longer allowed on one East County property to help the people who live there.
Butterfield Manufactured Home & RV Community -- more commonly known as Butterfield Ranch -- is about 80 miles outside of downtown San Diego past the windy roads of the local mountains where cell service can be spotty.
During an in-person interview, the residents who spoke to ABC 10News said the nonprofit organization Backcountry Communities Thriving has been vital for their health because the organization helped connect them to services and supplies they needed.
"It's nice to have somebody come out there and help us," said resident Donna Nowicki.
Residents like Sherrie Nevitt said they "were all severely disappointed" when they heard BCT's involvement at Butterfield Ranch was changing.
"As we have gotten to know them and care for them a lot, they've come to trust us," Ward said.
In 2022, ABC 10News first met with Kim Simas and Hilary Ward of BCT. At the time, E. coli was in the water supply and forced a boil water order at Butterfield Ranch for months.
BCT raised the red flag about how long it took to get clean water for the residents.
"You need water to live, so it's extremely important," Ward said at the time.
After the initial story aired, Congressman Darryl Issa's office delivered more than 7,800 bottles of water to the residents to help them.
The property owner fixed some of the water problems, and the boil water order has since been lifted.
However, BCT said other issues have come up.
"Our involvement with Butterfield has been recently decreased or diminished, just because of the advocating that we are doing for the residents is becoming a problem for management," Simas said.
In August, Simas and Ward said they received an email from property management that said that Butterfield Ranch "no longer needs BCT to deliver any food or services to the property."
The email said the property owner secured their own food drops and "no longer need or want [their] help." They gave BCT 30 days to remove their shed from Butterfield Ranch.
Tim Philbin, who helps manage the property, wrote to Ward in a separate email from August, "The negatives outweigh the positives in continuing this relationship as it relates to the operations and management of the park."
Ward said BCT did not get any specific explanation about the negatives.
"I was immediately saddened by the lack of resources that we would be able to provide the residents. We were kind of afraid for their livelihood," Simas said.
Philbin said the " bi-monthly Feeding San Diego food drive, that used to be led by BCT volunteers, is now led by resident volunteers." He added that residents can associate with guests and visitors, including BCT personnel, as long as they comply with the laws and community rules.
Philbin also told ABC 10News management decisions are based on "optimizing resident quality of life and safety."
BCT remains concerned for the people who live there.
"We've tried our best to try to help them, and I'm just hoping that someone out there might be able to help take up their cause as well," Ward said. "We often hear that it's too far for people to go to help them, and it's that's just not that's not right. This is still San Diego County, and they deserve services."