Feeding The Homeless in WPB Can Be Dangerous Part 1
June 8, 2023
Channel 5 WPTV Briana Nespral Posted May 28, 2023
“Food Not Bombs to fight new West Palm Beach ordinance requiring permit”
“For the past 16 years, Food Not Bombs has been serving food, including lasagna, to the homeless every Saturday in downtown West Palm Beach.
Food Not Bombs is a worldwide organization that shares food with the hungry in more than 1,000 cities in 654 countries in protest to war, poverty and destruction of the environment.
But a recent ordinance approved by the City Council requires a permit for large group feeding events. If the permit is violated, the group said individual members face the possibility of a $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail.
Spokeswoman Carl Prinzio said her group will reject this permit requirement, calling it a blatant attack on their freedom of expression.
“It’s definitely just straight up awful,” she said. “It’s ridiculous. You are criminalizing people for sharing food with the hungry, really? Of all the different issues you could be tackling in the city of west palm beach, this is what your spending your resources on?
“Why not address the issues of food insecurity, affordable housing. Those are what causes the problems that we have so they are just out of their mind coming after us for sharing food. It makes no sense for any of us.” Read the entire story below.
5/30/2023 City Commission meeting lasted 2:34:45 and was an emotional one and Channel 5 attended with cameras rolling. The entire city meeting link is posted below and I ask readers to scroll to the end of the meeting and listen to “Public Comment.” There were 4 residents who made comments all focused on feeding the homeless.
One of the speakers was a woman named Canta Chestnut who is president of “We Care About People Inc” who have prepared healthy meals and distributed them from the back of her car for years. On April 27, 2023 she received a written warning from police to stop or she would receive a $500.00 fine or 60 days in jail, or both. She spoke passionately to the elected officials. I was to be one of the speakers making public comment on feeding the homeless and this was the first time I heard the name Canta Chestnut and it wont be the last.
Randall is a member of Brighten the Corner org and is also a “Street Chaplain” who also made a passionate comment. I met Randall 5/20/2023 at the FNB feed the hungry event and he was with 2 licensed hair stylist who were kind enough to donate their time to give homeless people a haircut. Please take the time to check out his website.
https://brightenthecorner.org/about/
Comments from the public start @ 1:53:00 end @ 2:05:52 Sandy 1st. speaker, 2nd.Sterling, 3rd. Canta and 4th.Randall
Comments from commissioners
Warren 2:06:03 to 2:08:26
Ward 2:8:30 to 2:12:27 Commissioner Ward claims residents in her district complain “kids can’t walk to their own school, out of fear, can’t ride their bike” Am I supposed to believe her statement? She’s a politician so I will question it. Onto Google with a question. how many teachers accused of molesting students in Florida? Published Oct 4,2022
“Nearly 270 public educators were arrested on child sex-related crimes in the U.S. in the first nine months of this year, ranging from grooming to raping underage students.
An analysis conducted by Fox News Digital found that from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, at least 269 educators were arrested, which works out to roughly one arrest a day.
The 269 educators included four principals, two assistant principals, 226 teachers, 20 teacher’s aides and 17 substitute teachers.”
In my opinion children are safer with the homeless population than they are in the classrooms.
I have a friend for many years who with her husband have a very successful business, and were blessed with two children. Every holiday their friends and family gather at their home for the holiday meal and conversation.
One Thanksgiving she and her two young children went to a “soup kitchen” and volunteered to feed the homeless. When someone asked why? She explained she never wanted her children to take for granted what they had and people less fortunate didn’t even have a meal for the holiday. She wanted to teach her kids empathy. Know what? It took! Both her kids have learned a lesson many years ago, the apple don’t fall from the tree. To me that is the other side of the coin.
Fox 2:12:29 to 2:17:59
Lambert 2:18:03 2:22:21
Peduzzi 2:22:23 end 2:25:12
James start 2:25:16 to 2:34:18 James is proud of the work he’s doing with the homeless.
Please pay attention to what Ward & James have to say about feeding the homeless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaDIbAoueo
There will be a follow up story on feeding the homeless.
In closing if the city leaders can’t find empathy and understanding concerning the homeless, can the city’s leaders not punish the people who do?
The end.