Wednesday, November 05, 2014

90-year-old Florida man faces jail for feeding the homeless

There are still two people out of work for every job opening.

http://news.yahoo.com/90-old-florida-man-faces-jail-feeding-homeless-194710412.html

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently joined more than 30 cities that have restricted or are taking steps to restrict sharing food with the homeless. But Arnold Abbott says he plans to keep breaking the law by feeding the homeless.

Late last month, the city of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., passed a series of laws that restricted where organizations could feed the homeless.

On Sunday, when a 90-year-old man received a citation in Stranahan Park, the effects of these new laws came into full view.

Arnold Abbott, who is ordered to appear in court, says that hundreds of homeless people had gathered in the park and then police arrived. Police issued court orders to him and two members of the clergy, who were handing out food. He says he faces a maximum of 60 days in jail.

Mr. Abbott is a longtime advocate. He says he has been feeding the homeless at a local beach for more than 20 years, and he founded his organization, Love Thy Neighbor, in 1991. He says he will return to that beach Wednesday night – and expects a repeat of Sunday’s interaction with police.

“After I was cited, I took everybody over to a church parking lot,” he says in a phone interview. “We did feed everybody. It wasn’t a complete waste.”

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The National Coalition for the Homeless released a report last month called “Share No More,” listing more than 30 cities that have restricted or are taking steps to restrict food-sharing programs. The report also aims to correct assumptions about food sharing. To the coalition, a lack of affordable housing, few job opportunities and disability perpetuate homelessness more than food-sharing programs do.

Other cities that have attempted to restrict, ban, or relocate food-sharing programs are Denver, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, according to the report.

Rules that restrict organizations from feeding the homeless, Abbott says, show a lack of common sense among legislators. Without outdoor feedings, homeless people would need to resort to digging through dumpsters or similar drastic measures, he says.

“This I don’t want to happen,” he says. “I will continue fighting, I will promise you that. I will not let up.”

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