Feeding homeless in public under fire

If you look on the sidebar of this blog, you'll see this from Matthew. It looks as if some people understand it and many others do not.

Matthew 25

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

It doesn't seem to matter much what city or state this happens in because the reaction to homeless people is the same. Some have compassion for the "least among us" and others, well, as you'll read, they find the homeless offensive. We need to wonder why that is.

Is is because they feel guilty they themselves have plenty to eat, a place to call home while there are so many others who have neither? What is offensive about homeless people getting something to eat because someone has compassion for them? Are we not supposed to be our brother's keeper?

There are some in this country who never think of what it would be like if they were the one in need. If they were hungry, homeless, abandoned, ill and in need would they feel the same way? It's just so much easier on the conscience of this nation to not have to see the homeless lining up for a meal once a day. So much easier to not be reminded that this nation is not the land of plenty for everyone.

I've heard things said by "Christian" people that shocked me when they come out with statements that "homeless people are lazy" and "homeless people want to be that way" among so many other comments. Compassion is sorely lacking in many claiming to be Christians when Christ Himself even said, "For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." (John 12:8) We should not be ashamed of homeless people or find them offensive. We should however find it offensive and be ashamed we have homeless and hungry people we do not want to take care of.

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos

Feeding homeless in public under fire

Wednesday, September 3, 2008


ST. PETERSBURG — It's still bright outside when the hungry start to line up along Mirror Lake to wait for the Chicken Man to bring them their dinner.

Don McClendon and his wife, Barbara, have delivered free meals to the homeless here four nights a week for nearly nine years. The heavy plates come stocked with vegetables, bread and McClendon's namesake entree: chicken. Always chicken.

"If they are hungry, we have an obligation to feed them," McClendon said.

But McClendon's days as the Chicken Man could be numbered.

City officials say the public feeding of homeless and other low-income people has gotten out of hand, and they are looking to limit the practice, especially in downtown St. Petersburg, where business owners, residents and tourists complain that do-gooders are only attracting more homeless people to the area by feeding them.

"We have ongoing calls from people downtown who say this is interfering with their businesses and their lives," said Rhonda Abbott, the city's social services manager.

During an August meeting, the City Council directed the city's legal department to look into banning public feeding.

City Attorney Mark Winn warned that it would be difficult for the city to take any action that would not affect other residents who choose to eat outside.

"If you write an ordinance that says no feeding in the park, you can't take your family on a picnic because that is feeding. You can't feed your boyfriend grapes in the park," he said. "These people are basically doing conduct that everyone does. It just happens to be that some people find these folks offensive."
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