Re: Should feeding the poor without permits be a crime?

HOBOMATT@aol.com
Thu, 27 May 1999 19:47:48 EDT 

gbacque@idirect.com writes:

<<   (From my posting...)A local example; the Salvation Army runs a mobile 
canteen truck to the
 edge of the local welfare office parking lot five evenings a week - right 
across the street from a
 residential area. They started doing this, without serious impact. Then they
 got the idea of dropping a picnic table there to "make things nicer". Well it
 might have been nicer for the 45 minutes of dining time; the rest of the time
 that table served as a open-air cocktail lounge for the 40 oz and Mad Dog
 set. Neighbors started getting pissed off.  The table was removed and the
 propblem resolved. People who feed homeless people need to be mindful of all
 ways their good intentions impact the immediate neighbors and the community
 at large. This is a bigger "quality of life" issue than the possibility of
 poorly prepared food.   Matt Parkhouse, RN, Colorado Springs, CO>>>
 
   (From gbacque@idirect.com) Why is it that the 'quality of life' issues of 
middle or upper-class homeowners
 always  seem to matter more than the frequently life-and death issues faced 
by
 homeless persons? Frankly it is the more fortunate neighbors who need to 
learn to
 yield a little here - not the other way around.>>

  (response) It should be pointed out that the "fortunate neighbors" did not 
go after the Salvation Army to move their service or stop doing it 
(personally, I feel they ought to do it in front of City Hall) - simply to 
perform it in as minimally intrusive/offensive as possible. People and 
agencies that work with homeless people need to be aware that there are 
potential problems that are not an inevitible requirement of what ever the 
service is. If homeless providers took this "wholist view", perhaps there 
would be fewer perceived problems and resistance to their being in or near 
neighborhoods. Far too many behave like an 800 pound gorilla and refuse to 
work with or accept imput from the affected neighbors. Then you get the all 
to frequent NIMBY fight. Providers have responsibilites too.
Matt Parkhouse, RN. Colorado Springs, CO