This is where the students were handing out the food:
This is where the City of Baltimore wants them to move:
Posted on 12/23/2005 12:12:02 PM PST by COBOL2Java
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- A Jesuit-run college in Baltimore has suspended a food program for the homeless after the city's health department informed student participants that they could not distribute sandwiches without a license.
Despite not having a license, which requires that hot and cold running water be available where the food is served, several students from Loyola College in Maryland have continued to give out sandwiches on their own outside St. Vincent de Paul Church in downtown Baltimore on Monday nights.
"We think the regulations are ridiculous," said Ashley Biggs, an 18-year-old sophomore and the student coordinator of the outreach program, called Care-A-Van. Biggs said students in the college program had been giving out food in a downtown parking lot when Baltimore City Health Department officials asked them to stop Nov. 14.
Four to six students have continued to distribute food at St. Vincent de Paul independent of the college program because "people still need to eat," she told The Catholic Review, newspaper of the Baltimore Archdiocese.
"Technically, it is illegal," Biggs added. "They could potentially give us a citation and a fine."
Mark Kelly, a Loyola spokesman, said the college's Center for Values and Service is in discussions with students and the health department to "come up with a working solution" that will allow the center's outreach program to resume.
One option is implementing a health department suggestion to get licensed and relocate to an area next to the Supermax prison in Baltimore. Another possibility is for the college to find a health-certified kitchen and alternative location, Kelly said.
Sister Catherine "Missy" Gugerty, a School Sister of Notre Dame who directs the Center for Values and Service, said she was thrilled that the students were continuing their outreach even though they no longer can do it through the college. "I can't think of a more impressive scenario," she said.
Sister Missy said the van outreach has become an "essential service." About 20 student volunteers participate, and approximately 50-75 people have been receiving ham and cheese sandwiches along with a drink every Monday and Tuesday.
The number of clients has increased dramatically since the program began 1991, she said.
Sister Missy said students are "gravely concerned" about the well-being of the people who have benefited from the outreach program. "The students really felt that if the people were not getting the sandwiches, the alternative is to pick food out of the trash cans," she said.
Melisa Lindamood, senior adviser on legislative affairs for the Baltimore City Health Department, said the city is enforcing regulations related to the licensing of food providers as a way of protecting the homeless. She said Baltimore has been recognized nationally for having the cleanest restaurants.
"We wanted to be able to say that any outdoor food provider is as safe as the Cheesecake Factory or any other restaurant," said Lindamood, who noted that licensing fees are waived for nonprofit groups such as Loyola's.
Lindamood said many homeless people have "compromised immune systems," and that licensing serves as "a check to make sure homeless persons are protected."
"These licenses are to make the food safer, not to stop distribution," she said.
When preparing food, Sister Missy said, students wear rubber gloves and place each sandwich in a sealed baggie. The food is refrigerated until it is distributed, she said.
Students are not eager to relocate their outreach to the site promoted by the health department, Sister Missy said. "The (homeless) people have told us they don't like to be there," she said. "It is dreary, and some of them have had interactions with the law and have spent time in some form of jail system and so it is really hard for them to be near there."
Biggs said she believes the city is trying to hide the homeless by moving the food program to the Supermax site. "Out of sight, out of mind," she said. "If people don't see the problem, then it doesn't exist."
Ping
I remember working in a fast food, as a teenager, where every night we would throw out so much food. I asked once if we couldn't give it to a shelter. The Manager shook her head and said the health department wouldn't let them and the corporate lawyers wouldn't assume liability.
How sad.
"We think the regulations are ridiculous," said Ashley Biggs, an 18-year-old sophomore...
Then you probably don't mind it when food service workers don't wash their hands after using the bathroom?
It's unbelievable that this program has been in operation for almost 15 years, and now all of a sudden the bureaucrats decide it can't go on. Given the location where they are currently handing out the food, and the place where they city wants to move them, I think that student is right - can't let the homeless hang around a nice area...
Loyola College of Baltimore ping! Go Greyhounds!
bah humbug ~~ Jesus wouldn't have been allowed to distribute the loaves and the fishes in today's world.
You probably don't mind if they're not food service workers.
Best to have the proper legal protections in place. If the homeless are hungry, then sue the lawyers.
The answer would be to buy an old beat up trailer or motor home with hot running water and distribute the food from there.
As long as the employee has the "Employees must wash hands..." sign posted, I guess it would kosher.
I think that's sad, too. A few years ago at a company Christmas party (which was catered), there was a ton of food left over. My husband and I had them wrap the leftovers up in aluminum foil containers, and promptly delivered the warm food over to the nearest shelter. It was a very cold night that night, as I recall. The people running the shelter were a bit confused at first, but they let us bring the food into the kitchen area, and they reheated and served it. I'm glad we weren't given a citation for it, and I doubt that anyone got sick from it. It was delicious, but too much had been ordered. Seems like sometimes bureacrats get caught up in a bunch of legal BS.
"If the homeless are hungry, then sue the lawyers"
Don't feed them and they will be forced to take "the jobs that americans won't do" instead of panhandeling and bitching.
My firm routinely throws away vast quantities of expensive catered food - we tried to donate it, but it's not acceptable. Something about us not being a food-service company, so they can't be sure we've followed food-safety practices.
Im speechless ! (And I'm rarely speechless)
When I worked for McD's back in the 80's, the homeless would dig through the dumpsters looking for the expired food bag. Making a big mess in the process. On the night shift we solved this problem by just putting all the expired food (the still eatable stuff) in a cardboard box and placing it on top of the dumpster. Once we started doing that we never had to go out and clean the area again.
Many laws deserve to be ignored.
< The Manager shook her head and said the health department wouldn't let them and the corporate lawyers wouldn't assume liability. >
Exactly. Keep doing it on a low-key basis just as is. Once they set up to meet standards and get licensing they will be open to lawsuits.
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