# Feeding the Homeless is Against the Law **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152 "2013-08-25T20:27:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/61 "2013-08-27T17:20:48Z")
No way would I have known about that had luci not found it. Insults may be passed over depending on the moderator; but hiding an insult is inexcusable. Plus, of course, it could lead to all types of investigatory words being known only to Google. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/62 "2013-08-27T17:42:56Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve heard about similar actions in other places. One reason that’s been given is that the food providers don’t have proper training to handle food safely, and I believe that there’s something to that. Darn! 98% of the world’s moms had better stop feeding their children, pronto, then. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/63 "2013-08-27T17:46:35Z")
There’s a difference between feeding members of one’s own family and feeding the masses. As someone who breastfed, I DID receive some training…some of it was from a nurse at the hospital, but most of it was very traditional training, from my mother and grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/64 "2013-08-27T17:55:34Z")
According to my mom, no training was needed, she just showed it to me and I was all up into that shit. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/65 "2013-08-27T18:00:53Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It’s been against the law here in Las Vegas since 2006. How does this work, in practice? Would it be forbidden to give, on an individual basis, a sandwich to a homeless person? It seems pretty much unenforceable without arresting anybody who gives food to anybody. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/66 "2013-08-27T18:11:32Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > **Flatlined** , I want you to understand the reason behind my earlier satire. Too often the reason behinds these type of ordinances are the _same_ as ordinances enacted when a municipality has too many raccoons. I was satirizing the dehumanizing aspect. Which, I think, is apropos. I, at least, liked your satire. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/67 "2013-08-27T18:59:24Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Few loaves of bread. Couple of fish. Nostalgia. I remember back in the late nineties, Loves and Fishes of Sacramento expanded, or talked about expanding, and the nearby businesses lobbied against it with tales of theft, vandalism, and sex in their doorways. I don’t remember how it turned out. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > . . . Then around a month ago, the police began enforcing them with nobody apparently able or willing to explain why the change occurred. If it’s a low level change, it’s sometimes just a matter of getting a few complaints. Complaints have to be answered. If they come in in writing, usually they have to be answered in writing. So the police look into the complaints and what the ordinances are and now they have to either do something about it or officially write back that, yes, there’s an ordinance forbidding it, but they don’t feel like enforcing that particular one, sorry. Which way would you go? Especially if you know that if there’s blow-back, the politicians can work to change the ordinance or to set up a work-around, both of which are not in your job description or power. I know I’d let the politicians earn their pay. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The city spokesman says the police were enforcing an ordinance, but I see no cite, quote, or mention of its content. Nor anything to suggest the reporter asked and was stonewalled. **Bad** reporter! > [@](#): > > From the current version of the article: > Sec. 9-2022 of the rules governing city parks prohibits the distribution of food without a permit. > > “No individuals or group shall serve or distribute meals or food of any kind in or on any City park or greenway unless such distribution is pursuant to a permit issued by the Parks, Recreation and Greenway Director,” the ordinance states. > > Police spokesman Jim Sughrue said in an email Sunday that no one was arrested and that the group was “simply informed” of the rules, which have been on the books since 1998. Sounds like they need a permanent food kitchen. I assume that setting it up will be a pain in the patoo. Good might come of it, though. I assume that the church folks want a permanent fix or they wouldn’t have gone to the papers. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/68 "2013-08-27T19:32:01Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > There’s a difference between feeding members of one’s own family and feeding the masses. > > As someone who breastfed, I DID receive some training…some of it was from a nurse at the hospital, but most of it was very traditional training, from my mother and grandmother. > [@elucidator](#): > > According to my mom, no training was needed, she just showed it to me and I was all up into that shit. It wasn’t the baby who needed training! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/69 "2013-08-27T19:36:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Sounds like they need a permanent food kitchen. I assume that setting it up will be a pain in the patoo. Good might come of it, though. > > I assume that the church folks want a permanent fix or they wouldn’t have gone to the papers. Apparently there’s some sort of government funded agency that gives food away Monday through Friday. Perhaps the church could volunteer to run the place on weekends. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/70 "2013-08-27T20:35:16Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve heard about similar actions in other places. One reason that’s been given is that the food providers don’t have proper training to handle food safely, and I believe that there’s something to that. That’s a valid objection, but I will tell you in my years of working food service for a number of different homeless ministries, we (as an organization) were well aware of the need to have at least one certified food handler on site at all times, and it’s why, in addition to other more professional certification I maintain, I am a Certified Food Manager. The other issue you raise – why in the park and not a church or shelter – is that often, folks that are homeless lack transportation, and we found value in doing “food outreach” to various spots in the area in which we knew we’d reach hungry people that couldn’t reach us. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/71 "2013-08-27T20:45:30Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > The other issue you raise – why in the park and not a church or shelter – is that often, folks that are homeless lack transportation, and we found value in doing “food outreach” to various spots in the area in which we knew we’d reach hungry people that couldn’t reach us. Which is why I listed all the churches that were near the park and wondered if any of them are affiliated with the group mentioned in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/72 "2013-08-27T21:15:21Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > It wasn’t the baby who needed training! Oh. Dja know that humans are the only mammals with permanent boobs? All the rest just grow them when they are useful. Checkmate, atheists! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/73 "2013-08-27T21:48:10Z")
Permanent boobs are useful for attracting and retaining the sexual interest of human males. Check, believers! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/74 "2013-08-27T21:50:15Z")
_Moo??_ ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/75 "2013-08-27T22:56:31Z")
Boobs are God’s gift to men. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/76 "2013-08-27T23:08:32Z")
Nah, we just secretly really love to listen, but are too stubborn to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/77 "2013-08-27T23:39:23Z")
I love listening to boobs. They sound like… how do I describe it? Boobs sound like Christmas morning. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/78 "2013-08-28T00:28:47Z")
I agree that the Police probably felt they had no choice but to start enforcing after enough people complained. And they probably have an internal rule to NOT disclose details of what complaint there may have been. Now it will be interesting when the political side attempts to write in a charitable exception, to see who comes up in opposition and why, and what debate will there arise as to what is and is not a valid charitable event for exception purposes. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/79 "2013-08-28T03:28:16Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > **Flatlined** , I want you to understand the reason behind my earlier satire. Too often the reason behinds these type of ordinances are the _same_ as ordinances enacted when a municipality has too many raccoons. I was satirizing the dehumanizing aspect. Which, I think, is apropos. I’m sorry. I got my panties in a wad over the dehumanizing aspect. That happens way too much when the homeless and mentally ill are in the radar. On re-reading, it was good. Again, I am sorry for reacting because you pushed one of my buttons. I didn’t think before posting. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152/80 "2013-08-30T16:29:16Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > \*\*Feeding the Homeless is Against the Law > \*\* > > in Raleigh, North Carolina. I swear, I am not making this up! Could be worse. In Columbia, SC, now [**being** homeless is against the law](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/columbia-south-carolina-criminalizes-homelessness_n_3795397.html). > [@](#): > > Concerned that Columbia has become a “magnet for homeless people,” and that businesses and the area’s safety are suffering as a result, council members agreed on Aug. 14 to give people on the streets the option to either relocate, or get arrested, according to the city’s “Emergency Homeless Response” report. > > Cooperative homeless people will be given the option to go to a remote 240-person bed emergency shelter, which will be open from September to March. The shelter will also be used as a drop-off for people recently released from prison and jail, too. > > A hotline will be set up for passersby to “report” a homeless person that needs to be removed, additional police will be dispensed to monitor the streets and vans will escort the homeless to the shelter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeding-the-homeless-is-against-the-law/667152.md?page=5)