Via TU: Jacksonville churches fight for right to feed homeless

[Singejoufflue]

And now Redman is considering the removal of benches in Hemming Plaza.  Not a solution but an agitation.

He said he sympathizes with the homeless and knows the church members are doing what's on their hearts. But there are three or four places within a few miles of the park where the homeless can get meals and services, and Redman thinks there's no reason to add Hemming Plaza to the list.

"Anybody has a right to come to the park. We cannot refuse them the right to come to that park. But to do something to encourage them to come there, we can control that," Redman said.

Redman remembers trying to take Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll on a recent weekday to sit on a park bench for a quick meeting. He said the homeless took up all the benches.

To curb the homeless problem, he said, he may lobby for taking the benches out.

Full article here: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-01-23/story/jacksonville-churches-fight-right-feed-homeless

[JeffreyS]

Hemming is not the place to feed the homeless but the problem is that the city has not provided an appropriate place. These churches have buses collect people and feed them at the church facility. We need a day camp near the Sulzbacher center.

[TheProfessor]

Stray cats will always come back to their feeder.  I don't see how feeding the homeless in the street is helping them get off the streets.

[simms3]

Finally I can agree with Redman on something!!    That's actually exciting.

[Jaxson]

I appreciate the sentiment behind removing the benches, but I can't help but wonder why much of our actions seem to be knee-jerk reactions to the homeless, vagrants or others.  We should keep in mind that a public place that is uncomfortable for the homeless may not be as inviting either to those who truly want to enjoy the public space...

[Jumpinjack]

I'm opposed to setting up a soup kitchen in the park. Use your own church, not a public park.

The problem with Hemming Park is just the reverse - not enough other people are in the square. Bad behavior by a few is ignored or disparaged only in print or websites. If more people came outside those offices and sat in the park throughout the day, we could see a big change in common courtesy.

Look at the library for proof of peaceful coexistence. I love our downtown library - go every week. The lesson is that many kinds of other people are using it too - parents and kids, chess players, people reading magazines or books, people using computers. Noise and sleepers are openly discouraged.  Reading, viewing out the windows or meditation on the terrace are approved. Library security is just great at getting people to cooperate.

[Jimmy]

If Don Redman removes all the benches from Hemming Park, then how does that help he and Jennifer Caroll to sit on a bench in Hemming Park?

Or any of the rest of us.

[Ralph W]

Perhaps these churches, including First Baptist, can get together and fund a Roach Coach, delivering food and other stuff to the homeless at other "more acceptable" places such as the parking lots of the various shelters, their own church properties and facilities such as Sulzbacher.

Upscale roach coach businesses have been providing on-the-go meals in a number of cities. There was an article about this recently in the TU, I believe. They advertise their location via Tweets and people flock to patronize. I'm sure the urban grapevine would get the word out and then maybe everyone can be served. Objectionable lines of "objectionable" people will no longer sully the park and there will be room on the benches for the gentry.