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jillianleab · Nov 24, 2008, 06:07 PM

I don't understand the city rule, it doesn't make any sense to me. Why must a faith-based facility be open five days a week, not, say, four? Or two? Is the facility only faith-based because it's in a church? Can non-faith-based facilities be selective about their hours? Seems like government at it's best, to me. It's great the city says they have beds to accommodate the people who will be displaced, but it still makes no sense.

Someone mentioned food dontation to the homeless - the reason restaurants and grocery stores can't dontate "old food" (stuff past it's expiration date) is because the FDA says it's not safe to consume. Will day-old bread hurt you? No, probably not, and I'd rather see it go to someone who is hungry than to the rats around a dumpster, but if we feed expired food to the homeless on purpose, we are saying they are worth less than people with homes. I have a home, so it's not OK for me to eat day-oold cheese, but the homeless guy, well, who cares if he gets sick? That's the reasoning behind it, and to a point, I understand.

And, inthebox, this is the second thread you've mentioned separation of church and state. This is the second time I'll ask you - what does this have to do with separation of church and state?

startover22 · Nov 24, 2008, 08:01 PM

A lady yesterday asked if I had any left overs, I said, I am sorry I just took it to the trash. She said... "wheres the dumpster?" I was like, no way are you going to the dumpster on my account. I gave her what I could find that didn't need cooking (as we were closed) Geeze, everyone just do what you can. This wouldn't be an issue if we ALL did. I know some of you think I just live in that dream world where one person can change the world... but seriously if you change one, then you have a pretty good start;) If we split the world in half and the other half help the half that needs it, then we can change the world. It is just a five minute inconvenience to us and we still choose not to do it. I just don't get it.

liz28 · Nov 24, 2008, 08:31 PM

One day last week I was on the train. This homeless guy was walking through the train begging for money to buy food because he was hungry.

I had just came from my doctor appointment at the hospital and brought food from the cafeteria because I was hungry but I hurry to the train to get home. I never touch the food because I was going eat it when I got home.

After I saw the guy begging for money, I told him he can have my food and it was untouch. He told it and thank me. Don't you know my stop came and he got off the same train stop and threw it in the garage. I was livid because I could've ate it.

startover22 · Nov 24, 2008, 08:55 PM

Ya, there are people that do that Liz... but others don't. So your food and thoughfulness were wasted... the next guy or girl may be a little more thankful for what you do. Don't be so discouraged, you did the right thing and next time if you think your inconvenience isn't worth it then it is up to you to make that choice. Please keep trying. I believe in you and others that keep on giving. It will come back to you in more ways than one. PLUS it makes you a good person and we could use a few like you here on earth.

tomder55 · Nov 25, 2008, 05:02 AM

Check out the restrictions on almost all food pantries . No home made pies casseroles ;not even holiday cookies... everything in original packing . To cook for the homeless your facility and equipment ,like ovens countertops ,must be up to restaurant code(often meaning all stainless steel equipment .Smaller pantries with less resources often are shut down by the state. Many won't accept wild game that was hunted ;even though in my area there is an overpopulation of deer ;wild turkey ,goose etc.(don't knock it until you've tried it. If I was homeless I would never go hungry)... even though many hunters are willing to donate their kill.

Saph. My work at the cafeteria ,while attending college propelled me indirectly to the career path I took. I started as a dishwasher ;became a cook ,and eventually "student manager" in charge of scheduling student workers .

Thankfully then the rules were less restrictive . My meals were part of the perks so long as I lived off campus... (I rented a roach and mouse infested room for $100/month ) . I would not have been able to complete college without the income .
I almost remained with the food service company after graduation but they could not find a position for me that met my requirements (at that time I wanted to continue on and get my Masters so I wanted to remain in a college environment ). I switched to the food manufacturing and nutritional supplement industry. The rest is history.

startover22 · Nov 25, 2008, 08:28 AM

It is amazing what one or two lawsuits can do.
AND it's amazing how scared we are of those.
People can't farkin survive if they freeze and starve to death... don't they understand it? Crap!

inthebox · Nov 25, 2008, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by jillianleab

And, inthebox, this is the second thread you've mentioned separation of church and state. This is the second time I'll ask you - what does this have to do with separation of church and state?

If one of the church's mission is to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and shelter the homeless, how can the gov interfere with this?

What does it matter to some gov beaurocrat sitting behind the desk whether a church takes in homeless 5 or 7 days a week?

speechlesstx · Nov 25, 2008, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by inthebox

If one of the church's mission is to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and shelter the homeless, how can the gov interfere with this?

What does it matter to some gov beaurocrat sitting behind the desk whether or not a church takes in homeless 5 or 7 days a week?

On the other hand, I'm sure they wouldn't mind them offering asylum to illegal immigrants.

jillianleab · Nov 25, 2008, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by inthebox

If one of the church's mission is to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and shelter the homeless, how can the gov interfere with this?

What does it matter to some gov beaurocrat sitting behind the desk whether or not a church takes in homeless 5 or 7 days a week?

The church can still do those things, they just have to do them according to the city law. Beyond that, this article:

CANOE -- CNEWS - World: N.Y. churches told not to shelter homeless

Says this:

"On Saturday, the city Department of Homeless Services said there is plenty of space at other shelters to accept all those who have been sleeping in the churches. The spaces include four new faith-based sites where the number of beds combined with availability amounts to a greater total number of nights for people to stay, said Homeless Services spokeswoman Heather Janik.

There are now about 250 beds in churches, mosques and synagogues. They're close to drop-in centres where people receive other services, including food, Janik said.

"This city is investing more than ever to make sure people have a place to lay their heads at night," she said, adding the number of faith-based and other types of shelter beds will increase by 50 per cent in the next fiscal year to more than 1,000."

The city isn't shutting them down because they are faith-based, they are shutting them down because they aren't open according to the code set forth by the city. For the record, I don't think it matters how many nights a shelter is open, but perhaps there is a reason the city has instituted this rule. But it isn't a violation of the separation of church and state.

twinkiedooter · Nov 25, 2008, 06:59 PM

I have noticed for the past few weeks that the deer that have been killed by vehicles on the stretch of 4 lane highway I drive every day have been picked up within one day. It seems that the state and county road crews are not picking up the dead deer - that the natives here in Ohio are picking them up from the side of the road and taking them home to eat. Apparently you don't have to be homeless to be hungry up here in no-job-land-of-the-rust-belt. I must have counted at least 20 deer so far in the past few weeks alone that have disappeared from the side of the road. I find they disappear within 12 hours or less. Last year the deer just stayed at the side of the road and rotted for weeks and weeks at a time.

Just shows you that at least the poor dead deer are feeding someone who is hungry. For America to resort to road kill for something to eat is to me rather disturbing in itself. The jobless people here can't find jobs as there are no jobs in the newspapers to speak of. It's going to be a long, cold, hard winter this year. God help us.

tomder55 · Nov 26, 2008, 07:37 AM

Why waste good road kill ? I like Ted Nugent's attitude about it... kill it then grill it. Venison prepared properly is luxury dining in my opinion.

twinkiedooter · Nov 26, 2008, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by tomder55

Why waste good road kill ? I like Ted Nugent's attitude about it ....kill it then grill it. Venison prepared properly is luxury dining in my opinion.

I didn't mean that eating road kill was bad. What I meant was the fact why are Americans resorting to eating road kill. If you like venison that much, just cruise the highways over in Ohio for some fresh road kill. We've got plenty of it for the taking.