ATLANTA, July 11, 2003 - Mayor Shirley Franklin today announced a new plan to assist religious and charitable groups in feeding the homeless while preventing the participating organizations from violating existing Fulton County health regulations. The new plan is part of the City’s comprehensive effort to address homelessness and its 100-day downtown initiative.
“We want to ensure that when food is provided to those in need that it is in a healthy and dignified manner. Public food distribution causes public safety problems related to health, litter and traffic-and also violates the Fulton County Health Code,” said Mayor Franklin. “However, it is important for those who are called to serve - such as church and civic organizations - to have a way to accomplish their compassionate task. With the help of Homeward, Inc. and others, we have put together a system of eight homeless service providers - located all across the City - who are licensed to dispense food to the public. These providers have stepped forward, and as a legal alternative to feeding in the City’s parks, will accept food from groups who wish to help the homeless,” said Mayor Franklin.
Homeward, Inc., a homeless-focused organization that assisted the work of the Homeless Commission, developed the system of in-take and distribution through homeless service providers. The participating providers are Crossroads; Odyssey III; My Sisters House; The Shepherd’s Inn; Atlanta City Mission; Jefferson Place; The Rock and Safe House Outreach. Organizations wishing to contribute food must contact the aforementioned providers and deliver donations to their respective locations for distribution.
Now that the service provider system is in place, the Mayor has instructed Chief of Police Richard Pennington to enforce the existing Fulton County health ordinance in the interest of public safety. According to Fulton County ordinances, anyone serving food to the public without a permit is violation of Health Code Section 34-152.
“The Commission on Homelessness supports the Mayor’s initiative on public food distribution,” said Commission Chairman Horace Sibley. “The policy is both balanced and compassionate. It upholds a strong public interest in health and safety, but at the same time it provides a clear mechanism for those who want to help the homeless,” said Sibley.
A. J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, believes that the new policy will help solve health concerns about Woodruff Park. “ We want Woodruff Park to be a pleasant and inviting setting for everyone who wants to come Downtown”, said Mr. Robinson. “It is a perfect venue for a variety of entertainment, so keeping the park pleasant and inviting is very important to our efforts. The practice of public food distribution has caused real concerns about sanitation, health, and of course the law. This new policy is yet another step forward in making Woodruff Park a great park.” Both organizations are partners in the City’s “Let’s Do Downtown” initiative.
Downtown residents expressed support of the new food distribution policy. “Many religious groups come in from the suburbs in vehicles packed with food and good intentions. That’s commendable, but after the feedings there is nothing but the trash and wasted food items. We’ve seen it lead to pests in the areas where people give out food. Someone has to clean up all the mess. A public park is not the place to do that,” said Dorthey Hurst, a Downtown resident, and President of the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association and a member of the City’s Woodruff Park Task Force.
“We need to get the message out to the religious and charitable communities that there are viable options to feeding the homeless that don’t include driving into the City, dropping off food in a public park and then relinquishing responsibility for what happens after they leave,” said Hurst.
For more information on the food in-take program and rules prohibiting feeding in parks, contact David Wardell at Central Atlanta Progress, (404) 658-1877.
To view the list of Mobile Meals Donation Sites click here.