Cities, Volunteers Clash Over Feeding Homeless in Public

[babylonsister]

Merry Christmas.

Cities, Volunteers Clash Over Feeding Homeless in Public
December 25, 2017


ATLANTA — When Adele MacLean joined others in an Atlanta park to feed the hungry the Sunday before Thanksgiving, she left with a citation and a summons to appear in court.

The case was dropped when she showed up in court earlier this month, but she and her lawyers say the citation for serving food without a permit was improper and demonstrates callousness toward the homeless. The city and some advocates say feeding people on the streets can hinder long-term solutions and raises sanitation concerns.

“I’m still outraged this is happening,” MacLean said after her court appearance Dec. 14. “I’m concerned that the city, whenever they want to crack down on the homeless, they’re going to go after anyone that tries to help them.”

About 40 cities nationwide had active laws to restrict food sharing as of November 2014, and a few dozen more had attempted such restrictions, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Interim Director Megan Hustings said she doesn’t have updated numbers but that she’s heard about more cities considering such regulations.

MacLean, a volunteer with a movement called Food Not Bombs, was cited Nov. 19 by a Georgia State University police officer after her group refused to stop feeding the homeless in a downtown park, and her lawyers say city officers have been distributing a “misleading pamphlet” bearing the city seal that says a permit is required to feed people in public places.

That’s simply not true, said Southern Center for Human Rights attorney Gerry Weber, who’s representing MacLean. Permits are required for restaurants, food trucks and festival food vendors, not for people sharing food at no charge, he said.

Even though MacLean’s case was dropped, it doesn’t mean officers will stop telling people they can’t feed the homeless, and doesn’t eliminate the possibility of future citations, Weber said. The Southern Center is pushing for a clear statement from the city that people have a right to feed the homeless in public places, he said.

Conflict between city government and groups feeding the homeless in public isn’t unique to Atlanta.

more...

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/cities-volunteers-clash-feeding-homeless-public/

[Angry Dragon]

1. call it a picnic..............do they require a permit for a picnic??

[cab67]

2. For large numbers of people, they might.

I’ve hosted parties for my students when one of them finishes a thesis at a nearby city park. I’ve had to pay for a permit. It’s a liability issue.

I don’t know the regulations in this specific case, but communities often regulate large gatherings in public spaces.

[ghostsinthemachine]

3. Can't feed em around here (NORCAL)

We feed the homeless here around Sacramento. We have go do it on the sly. Every once in a while, we get told no more in this or that park. The word gets out and well have 20 or more, hanging around waiting, and that creates a big problem.
So lately, we drive by with a bagged meal. And a gift card to a fast food place.