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."
"Be thankful you aren't in that situation"
I never have been and never will be, it's called personal responsibility, it was taught to me by my parents.
I was taught to never have less than 6 months earnings in reserve for emergancies and i've made it a practice all my life. 6 months is an absolute minimum, I try to keep at least 2 years in a money market account.
I have no compassion for people that live pay check to pay check, it's uncalled for.
May your good fortune continue. If by some unfortunate event you are ever in a dire situation, I hope there are compassionate people there for you. People unlike yourself.
Merry Christmas
I don't accept charity , government or private, and don't expect people to come to me looking for a handout.
So you never have given anything to charity?
Only discsrds if you want to consider that charity.
So FR has our very own Scrooge? You must be very proud of yourself.
Hear! Hear! Loyola alumnus here. . .'83.
Or the ever present plastic gloves that most food handlers use.
"Then you probably don't mind it when food service workers don't wash their hands after using the bathroom?"
You posted this as a reply to Cobol because of something you picked out of the article posted? Shame...
As for the City/Health Dept regs in this matter, let 'em take a flying leap at a rolling donut. As as for their suggested relocation - a pox on all the local DIMwitted pols.
Didn't your parents teach you to never say never?
The unexpected can happen to ANYONE. I don't excuse the bums and riff raff but sometimes sh!t happens to the best of people.
"I was taught to never have less than 6 months earnings in reserve for emergancies and i've made it a practice all my life....
"I have no compassion for people that live pay check to pay check, it's uncalled for."
Count your blessings, friend...
Many have not had parent(s) to "teach" them personality -- much less love or support them.
And also count good health, or good fortune as further blessings you may not fully appreciate for those who live pay check to paycheck.
Eventually we ALL need charity -- whether it is monetary or emotional. Except "emotional" charity is priceless.
Did they have a reason for why the location should change? How does that help sanitary reasons?
My sister is a health inspector in RI, and the things I have found out about upscale restaurants would curl your hair. Especially the ones I had loved.
A friend of mine owns a bagel shop, and used to donate the bagels at the end of the day. His lawyer told him he was opening himself up to a lawsuit. So he donated them to a dairy farmer for the cows. He also had to stop that too for the same reasons. It is a shame to see dozens of bagels being dumped every night. It is not like cows will sue.
Yeah, I'm so ashamed. Think of me next time you see the french fry chef pick his ass.
I hope not! Those are some of the best burritos I've ever eaten.
I used to work as a mechanic and every morning Jose would show up with his cooler full of breakfast burritos and steak burritos. He'd sell them for $1.50 each. They were mouth-watering, like crack for my stomach. He'd hit all of the garages in town. I'll never forget the day he showed up with his cooler in hand driving a brand new Camaro. Seems ol' Jose made a pretty penny selling his burritos.
And nope, I never got sick once.
That's what you get when you have too much government with too much money to spend and too much time on it's hands.
"Think of me next time you see the french fry chef pick his ass."
I don't eat French Fries out. Polyunsaturated veggie oils are bad - cause all kinds of bad health problems. Cook mine at home - use coconut oil (The only oil anyone should ever cook with). Much more to fear in the poly unsaturates than in the picked ass, my friend.
Please elaborate.
Folks educated in nutritional science have told me to use olive oil.
"Sister Missy said." I thought nuns tried to pick more holy names.
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. . . health department wouldn't let them . . .
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And then the lefties decry the very thing they cause. SOP.
Hey, Morgan Spurlock; supersize this.
If I was starving and could not get food any other way...no, I wouldn't mind.
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