Soup Kitchen Limits End in Gainesville

Home » Interns » Page 3

In March 2009, a city developer informed the Gainesville, Florida city Plan Board about an 18 year old ordinance that was regularly violated. The ordinance, located here in city code, limited soup kitchens to serving up to 130 meals within a 24 hour period. The Plan Board listened to the developer and voted for stricter enforcement of the limit. After two years of protests and activism, the 130 meal limit will now be replaced with a new policy that allows soup kitchens to serve as many people as they can within a three hour period each day.

The Coalition to End the Meal Limit NOW! lead a grass-roots effort to repeal the ordinance.

Due to exemptions in the original ordinance for churches and the Salvation Army, St. Francis House was the city’s only soup kitchen affected by the limit. Commissioner Jeanna Mastrodisca had stated that the limit was in place to keep soup kitchen patrons from being concentrated in the downtown area where many receive meals from the St. Francis House, saying “What we’re trying to do is spread [patrons] out. […] That’s our goal.” City Spokesman Bob Woods said in 2009 that Gainesville is currently developing a “one-stop” homeless center that will provide food, shelter, and services. Woods also said that Churches can hand out up to 20 meals without a permit.

But with the center still yet to break ground in August 2011, the hungry have limited options in Gainesville: according to the Coalition to End the Meal Limit NOW!, “the St. Francis House, in order to keep its license to operate, has had to turn away anyone after number 130 in line to be fed, despite lines approaching 300 people.” The meal limit was featured in the National Coalition for the Homeless’ (NCH) 2010 report on food sharing prohibitions and also helped garner Gainesville the fifth spot on NCH’s 2009 Ten Meanest Cities.

People began protesting the meal limit by picketing city hall and demanding that it be overturned in the summer of 2009. A petition to lift the limit on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and another holiday of St. Francis’ choosing quickly reached the city Plan Board later that year, and the unelected group of Gainesville residents recommended that the City Commission investigate overturning the limit all together. The Plan Board unanimously reaffirmed its position in 2011.

As the amount of time that the meal limit was enforced increased, so did its opposition. On December 1, 2010, the Coalition to End the Meal Limit NOW!formed with the mission of ending the need for their organization to exist as soon as possible.

The Coalition planned to post a billboard with this design to raise awareness and rally support against the limit.

The Coalition brought together a number of people and groups, including Food Not Bombs, Veterans for Peace, and the International Socialist Organization, acting as an umbrella to coordinate protests of the meal limit.

By August 2011, the Coalition had grown immensely. According to Sean Larson, the Coalition Convener, “we currently have 18 member organizations, with many of those sending regular delegates to our bi-weekly meetings. […] We [also] have had over 700 local residents sign the Coalition’s petition, and almost 15,000 supporters sign an online petition at Change.org.”

The petitions have brought attention to the issue, but not nearly as much as the Coalition’s pickets and protests. Larson says that their presence at city hall and downtown has drawn local, national, and even international attention to the meal limit, putting considerable pressure on the City Commission. According to Larson, their campaign gained even more momentum following a revelation that it was only a select group of land developers who pushed for the limit, allowing the Coalition to single out those responsible and hold boycotts and pickets. In October 2010, Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe still defended the meal limit, saying that it was the best way to keep the downtown community safe until an alternative could be found. But less than a year later, on July 27, 2011, Lowe announced his support of ending the limit, endorsing a plan that allows soup kitchens to serve an unlimited amount of people within a three hour window each day.

Larson says that the Coalition’s protesting is what truly made a difference: “[Mayor Lowe’s] indefensible support of the meal limit became unsustainable in the face of the mounting pressure engendered by the Coalition’s public actions, which generated a large public outcry against the mayor in particular. He changed his position because he had to.” On August 18, 2011, a repeal of the 130 meal limit won its first City Commission vote, and in its place will likely be the “three hour window” plan that Lowe eventually backed.

*This marks the last post by our Civil Rights Summer Intern Daniel Honeycutt. Thank you Dan (and all of our summer interns) for your great work this summer!

We’re really sad to see you all go!  NCH has been lucky enough to welcome the following interns to our offices.  This group has shown an incredible level of dedication and skill in helping us to get some great work done this summer.  Thank you for all your hard work, and best of luck in your future endeavors (maybe there is another Secretary of HUD among you?!)!

Laura Epstein

Laura is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College outside of Los Angeles, where she is studying government and religious studies. At school, Laura is very involved with Hillel and the College Democrats. She first got involved in NCH through attending Speakers’ Bureau presentations, and she is thrilled to become more involved with causes related to homelessness through her internship at NCH this summer. Outside of the office, she enjoys exploring D.C. and teaching violin lessons. She has been working on writing up hate crimes and publicizing National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week.

Daniel Honeycutt

Daniel is a sophomore at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he is majoring in Political Science and Music. He plays trumpet and sings in many music ensembles at Allegheny, including jazz band and choir. Daniel hopes to attend law school or graduate school for Political Science following graduation. He recently moved to Maryland from much colder Maine, where he was once an intern for Senator Olympia Snowe. His previous political experience motivated him to seek out a great nonprofit to intern with for the summer, and NCH was a perfect fit. Dan is currently tracking voter ID laws for the 2011/2012 Voting Packet and updating the 2010/2011 Criminalization of Homelessness Report.

Elizabeth Ballinger-Dix

From Seattle, Elizabeth is a junior at Amherst College in Massachusetts, majoring in English. After graduation, she is considering work in international development or conflict resolution. While searching for a way to work on poverty this summer, she learned about NCH through her college’s Center for Community Engagement. After work she likes cooking, reading, wandering around, and talking to anyone who will give her five minutes. Her main focus this summer is updating the website.

Brooke Templin

Brooke is a rising junior at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, majoring in English. She is also pursuing a minor in Biology. Her time at the National Coalition for the Homeless is a part of her commitment and participation in the Bonner Foundation Program, a community service based scholarship program. Brooke first became interested in issues of homelessness when the Speaker’s Bureau came and spoke at Allegheny. Since then, she worked with the Bonner Foundation at a local family services agency in Meadville that provided rental assistance. She is excited to be in Washington, DC learning about the issues and being a part of the advocacy community for people experiencing homelessness. Currently she is working on updating factsheets and the website layout. In her free time, she loves reading and exploring the many sights of DC.

Erin Linnehan

Erin is a rising senior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is a Political Science and Religious Studies double major with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. At school, she is a Varsity athlete on the Women’s Track and Field team at Holy Cross, directs the campus community service organization, and sings in her college a Capella group. Erin enjoys the company of family and friends and loves to spend time playing pick up sports. This summer, she has primarily been updating the Foreclosure to Homelessness 2009 report which the organization hopes to release by next year.

Marianne DeAngelo

Marianne DeAngelo is a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN majoring in Sociology and minoring in Communications and Studio Art. She became interested in NCH after researching hate crimes against people experiencing homelessness for two classroom speeches. At Vanderbilt, she has participated in Habitat for Humanity Spring Break, is a captain of the Club Lacrosse team, and is the Recruitment Chairwoman of her sorority. After college she hopes to find a career that relates to her interest in criminology. This summer she has been using her communications experience to improve our “Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau.

Shane Poole

Shane graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in political science and psychology.  In the fall he will be entering his second year of law school at Howard University.  Shane plans on devoting his legal career to social change as an advocate for the poor.  He believes that racial unity and education are the keys for progress, and that everyone in America could be given an equal opportunity to make something out of life.  Greatly inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., Shane understands that peace, compassion, and love must be spread to all.

The National Coalition for the Homeless would like to offer a preview of our upcoming report on the criminalization of homelessness by choosing the top ten most ridiculous anti-homeless policies enacted in cities across America. Our criminalization report will offer narratives for many more cities and occurrences than the ones listed here, as well as rank the nation’s ten “meanest” cities. This post counts down our choices for the 5 most ridiculous anti-homeless laws/actions. An earlier article ranking policies 10 through 6 is available.

10 Most Ridiculous Anti-Homeless Laws
~From 2010 through June 2011~

 5. Panhandling Bans – Multiple Cities

A rapidly increasing number of cities are designating areas where it is illegal to ask for any item of value. In Miami FL, for instance, panhandling is not allowed around American Airlines Arena and other tourist-heavy areas. Dallas TX also banned panhandling in popular tourist destinations in preparation for hosting the Super Bowl. Some cities, like St. Petersburg FL, even issued bans that cover the entire city.

Despite laws already being in place to guard against “aggressive” panhandling and asking for help clearly being a first amendment right, the courts have had mixed conclusions on these ordinances. An appellate court in New York said that such bans are unconstitutional, while panhandling bans for certain areas, such as around ATM’s and banks, were upheld in Minneapolis MN.

Oakland Park FL decided to take their roadway panhandling ban a step further: not only is it illegal to ask for anything of value, it is also illegal to give. In the name of traffic safety, anyone caught giving to or purchasing something from anybody on the road can face either a fine of $50 to $100 or up to 90 days in jail.

4. Camping Bans – Multiple Cities

Some cities, including Anchorage AK and Kansas City MO, have passed “anti-camping” ordinances and are destroying homeless camps both within metropolitan areas, such as those under bridges and in abandoned lots, and deep within parks and forests. Many municipalities interpret “camping” to mean setting up structures such as tents, while others will issue citations for simply using a sleeping bag because it provides shelter from the elements. For example, Salt Lake City UT has produced horror stories of people receiving camping citations for sitting on their backpack in a park.

Police “sweeps” of homeless camps, which are intended to clear out residents and their makeshift shelters, have resulted in the loss of very important property, such as medication, birth certificates, ID, and personal mementos. Due to legal challenges nationwide, like one in Portland OR and another in Sacramento CA, many cities that perform these sweeps have instituted systems to provide warning time to campers and to retain their seized belongings for a fixed period of time. Without this process, numerous homeless victims have illegally lost what little property they had, and even with it many more still stand to lose their belongings due to the difficulty of retrieving it. Ultimately, these crackdowns on homeless camps only waste taxpayer money and cause unnecessary hardship in order to move the problem of homelessness instead of solve it by providing adequate access to housing and services.

3. Sit/Lie Ban – San Francisco, California

“Stand up for the right to sit down!” This is the rally cry of those who are protesting a San Francisco ordinance that makes it illegal to sit or lie down on the city’s sidewalks between 7 am and 11 pm. The city claims that the ordinance is intended to limit panhandling and to reduce San Francisco’s homeless population by discouraging homeless people from living there. Opponents say that it is unconstitutional to force somebody to walk and stand all day simply because they have nowhere to go. Similar ordinances exist in cities across the country, including Austin TX, Seattle WA, and Reno NV to name a few.

2. Food Sharing Limits – Orlando, Florida

Since when is it illegal to give somebody food? In Orlando FL, it has been since April 2011, when a group of activists lost a court battle against the city to overturn its 2006 laws that restrict sharing food with groups of more than 25 people. The ordinance requires those who do these “large” charitable food sharings in parks within two miles of City Hall to obtain a permit and limits each group to two permits per park for a year. Food sharing is considered to be a form of speech, but the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the ordinance still provides ample areas for groups to practice their first amendment rights because they can still share food elsewhere in the city.

The law was not enforced during the legal battle, but after the lawsuit against the city failed, Orlando began cracking down on those who chose to defy the ordinance, resulting in multiple arrests of activists from Food Not Bombs. “‘They basically carted them off to jail for feeding hungry people,’ said [Douglas Coleman from Orlando Food Not Bombs]. ‘For them to regulate a time and place for free speech and to share food, that is unacceptable.’”

Food sharing prohibitions are far from a new development and are not only found in Orlando. In 2010, NCH and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty released a report on the growing popularity of these ordinances.

1. Sleeping Bans – Multiple Cities

Many city ordinances that ban public sleeping, like one in Santa Cruz CA, refer to all sleeping in public as “camping,” but the act of camping is interpreted in this article to be the use of personal shelter, such as a tent, and those laws are addressed in #4 of this list. Number one on our countdown is focused on ordinances that strictly ban all public sleeping outright, which includes cities such as Santa Cruz that make sleeping outside illegal in a de facto manner via a “camping” ordinance’s broad interpretation and enforcement.

No other type of law can quite compare to these bans when it comes to the overt criminalization of homelessness: it is undeniable that people experiencing homelessness are the only segment of the population commonly affected by ordinances that do not allow sleeping outside. To exacerbate the problem, many places with these laws, like Ashland OR, simply do not have enough shelter and services to offer violators.

Thankfully, courts have usually required cities with these ordinances to have enough shelter space available for every offender, as was the case in San Diego CA. But this policy ignores that shelters, which usually have curfews, tough crowds, and crammed beds, are not necessarily the most desirable places to live, so many people would much rather stay on the street than in what are sometimes “jail-like” places. And all too often the homeless have no choice: in St. Petersburg FL, those caught sleeping on the sidewalk are told that they can either go to a shelter or a real jail, denying them the option of avoiding systematic and strict harboring altogether. In the end, these policies can severely hurt people experiencing homelessness, resulting in jail time, outstanding fines, and a restriction of their freedoms.

For more information on the criminalization of homelessness, you can visit our 2009 Homes Not Handcuffs Report and our 2010 report on Food Sharing Prohibitions.

By Daniel Honeycutt, NCH Intern

The National Coalition for the Homeless would like to offer a preview of our upcoming report on the criminalization of homelessness by choosing the top ten most ridiculous anti-homeless policies enacted in cities across America. Our criminalization report will offer narratives for many more cities and occurrences than the ones listed here, as well as rank the nation’s ten “meanest” cities. This post counts down our choices for the ten most ridiculous anti-homeless laws/actions.

These five anti-homeless policies are only the tip of the iceberg. Check back in with the Bringing America Home Blog next week for five even more ridiculous laws and actions that not only ignore human rights, but constitutional ones as well.

10 Most Ridiculous Anti-Homeless Laws
~From 2010 through June 2011~

10.  “Homeless Meters” – Multiple Cities

San Antonio TX, Virginia Beach VA, Anchorage AK, and many more cities across America are installing converted parking meters to collect donations for homeless service organizations. These meters are being marketed as a possible solution to panhandling by encouraging do-gooders to give their spare change to established groups instead of directly to the homeless to avoid the possibility of their money being spent on drugs and alcohol.

Donating to vetted homeless service organizations is a positive thing, so we at NCH want the placing of “homeless meter” programs on this list to not necessarily mean that we are against the use of parking meters to collect donations. But we also urge the public to be aware of the negative effects of these efforts.

Personal interaction, which these meters may eliminate, can be just as important to a person experiencing homelessness as an actual monetary donation. A short talk can go lengths and bounds to renewing a feeling of inclusion in society, a feeling that is all too often lost among the sometimes invisible homeless. Donations to service organizations are always encouraged, but we should never let these meters discourage acknowledging that those who ask for money are fellow human beings. Just as ignoring the issue of homelessness will not help end it, ignoring the people directly affected by homelessness will not help them help themselves.

9.  RV Sleeping Ban – Venice, California

In 2010, Venice CA began strict enforcement of an ordinance banning sleeping in RV’s. This action is reportedly due to resident claims of annoyance from noise and inconvenience from the bulky vehicles. But many homeless live in RV’s, and they need to be close to the city so they can access services. Not allowing them to park and sleep in the city makes getting help all the more difficult. The ordinance was enacted due to reports of some RV owners dumping their sewage in public, but this ban punishes Venice’s homeless who have to choose between living either in their RV or on the streets. This homeless population is assuredly much larger than a couple of bad apples who do not care where their waste ends up.

8.  Smoking Ban – Sarasota, Florida

A ban on smoking in some public areas in Sarasota FL may sound fine at first: after all, New York City recently banned smoking in public parks. But the real issue here lies within the City Commission’s intentions, not the validity of the effects of second-hand smoke or cigarette butt pollution. The ban was originally proposed in conjunction with park bench removal at Selby Five Points Park (#6) to discourage the homeless from using the public area. The ban was later expanded to all public parks out of fairness, but this ordinance still remains far from fair: a city-owned golf course was given an exemption because, according to City Manager Bob Bartolotta, “so many of the golfers are smokers.” What is so special about golfers that they should not be required to follow the laws that are in place across the rest of Sarasota’s public parks?

7.  Water Sprinklers – Manteca, California

“Creative” is one way to think of this method of keeping the homeless from sleeping in public parks in Manteca, CA. “Cruel and unusual” is another. In order to discourage the homeless from camping in Library Park, the city purposely changed the water sprinkler schedule so that people could not sleep in the park without an unwanted shower. The policy also includes shutting off power in the park’s gazebo to keep the homeless from using it to charge their cell phones.

6.  Bench Removal – Sarasota, Florida

In response to complaints about gatherings of “vagrants” in public parks from downtown Sarasota FL condo residents, the city decided to remove the presumed host of these gatherings: benches. Sarasota went forward with its plan to remove the benches in Selby Five Points Park in May 2011 in order to please those who pay “the highest property tax value in the county” by discouraging the homeless (and apparently everyone else) from using the park. Combined with a panhandling ban around parking meters and a smoking ban in certain public spaces, which the City Commission originally proposed to further discourage the homeless from using parks (#8), it is all too clear that the Sarasota Commissioners are willing to go to ridiculous lengths to keep their poorest citizens out of the sight of their wealthiest.

For more information on the criminalization of homelessness, you can visit our 2009 Homes Not Handcuffs Report and our 2010 report on Food Sharing Prohibitions.  Be sure to check back next week for the top 5 Most Ridiculous Anti-Homeless Laws!

By Daniel Honeycutt, NCH Intern

With so many college students flocking to D.C. for internships, it is no surprise that organizations choose to have conventions geared toward young adults in D.C. over the summer. In the past month, I had the fantastic opportunity of attending the 2011 College Democrats of America Conference, from June 16-19, and the Center for American Progress’s Campus Progress National Convention on July 6. At the conferences, I learned about ways to take action on progressive causes and publicized National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week to college students.

National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, from November 12-20, 2011, is an NCH-sponsored event that I have been publicizing as part of my internship here at NCH. During the week, groups have the opportunity to coordinate events related to issues of hunger and homelessness such as hosting a Speakers’ Bureau panel, creating a tent city on campus, or lobbying elected officials. This summer, I have reached out to religious groups, community service groups, and college campuses to see if they can involve more groups in hosting their own awareness weeks. To enhance outreach efforts, I talked to many college students at the conferences I attended to encourage them to learn more about the awareness week by signing up to receive an organizing manual. Due to the close ties between democratic/progressive causes and issues related to poverty, students were extremely interested in becoming involved with our awareness week. Furthermore, because many of the democratic/progressive clubs that students are involved in have a low profile on campus or are faced with many apathetic student bodies, I encouraged students to bring awareness weeks to their campuses because of the innovative leadership and outreach experiences the week presents.

In addition to reaching out to students to participate in National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, I attended seemingly countless panels and keynote addresses, including hearing from people such as former President Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and author of Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich. As well as learning about cool projects and ways to take action that I will take back to my college campus, I was able to look at many issues through the lens of the relationship to homelessness. For instance, Representative Donna Edwards (D-MD) spoke about how when she was younger, she almost lost her house because she racked up hospital bills that she never would have incurred had her job provided her with healthcare or a high enough wage for her to buy her own coverage. For the conferences as a whole, one of the biggest topics was voting rights. ID laws and other requirements not only negatively affect the homeless, they also restrict the ability of college students to vote. It was so interesting to make the connections and to see how various groups are fighting the new voting laws. I also attend a panel directly related to poverty, with representatives from low-income student groups, Center for American Progress’ poverty reduction program (half in ten), and others. It was inspiring to hear how different organizations tackle the issues of poverty.

I absolutely loved attending the conferences because not only did I learn more about issues that I care about, but I was also able to talk with so many other students about how they are making positive social change and relate their experiences to mine here at NCH.

By Laura Epstein, intern

“If you have to show a picture ID to buy Sudafed, if you have to show a picture ID to get on an airplane, you should show a picture ID when you vote.” This is South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s justification for a new bill in the state that requires voters to produce photographic identification at the polls. Signed into law on May 18th, the bill also requires voters to produce a voter registration card, and one containing a photograph can be acquired for free with a birth certificate or passport.

South Carolina is far from alone in passing this measure. As of date, fourteen states have passed laws requiring photo identification, with sixteen more having other proof of residence voting requirements, such as presenting a credit card, utility bill, birth certificate, or paycheck if the voter does not have another form of identification. The stated goal of most supporters of this kind of legislation is to reduce voter fraud by making it more difficult for people to vote more than once in an election or for non-citizens to vote.

This trend is only becoming more and more widespread: according to The Brennan Center for Justice, “at least 37 states are considering or have considered voter ID and/or proof of citizenship” bills in this legislative session alone. The graph below shows the astounding recent increase in photo ID legislation passage:

These measures may in fact disenfranchise many American citizens who would otherwise be able to vote. A New York Times Editorial arguing against this type of legislation cites a survey by the Brennan Center for Justice which finds that 11% of American citizens who are of voting age (21 million people) do not have up-to-date photo identification, with that percentage being significantly higher among those with low incomes (15%) and African-Americans (25%). Furthermore, this was a phone survey, so the nation’s entire homeless population was, in all likelihood, not remotely accounted for in the results. If anything, these percentages are likely to be higher among the entire American electorate.

In theory, making photographic identification free, as some of these laws also do, should make it easy for citizens to acquire one and be able to vote. However, it is not that simple. Although most of these state laws have alternatives to using identification on election day, such as provisional ballots and affidavit forms, many of them still put a de facto price on voting for those who simply do not have the means to easily obtain a birth certificate, find out their Social Security number, or to make a trip to the DMV for a state-issued ID, such as the impoverished, disabled, and homeless. The key problem here, as was outlined by Professor Justin Levitt of Loyola Law School in a NPR discussion on the topic, is that “it takes ID to get ID.” Even if finances are not an issue, which they certainly are for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, it can still be “quite difficult to round up the documentation necessary to get documentation. It ends up a little bit of a bureaucratic cycle,” possibly causing voter apathy.

Overall, this legislation puts even more roadblocks in the way for the homeless to vote than there already are. Even though its supporters may indeed have the noble intention of reducing voter fraud, the issue of fraud itself is virtually “nonexistent” according to the New York Times. Regardless of how large or small of a problem voter fraud actually is, the large possibility remains that a surprisingly large number of Americans, at least 21 million, stand to effectively lose their vote if this legislation spreads nationwide unless they acquire a photo ID, which is certainly easier said than done for our marginalized populations, including the homeless.

To find out your state’s current voter identification laws, you can visit the National Conference of State Legislatures voter ID page. Also, New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice has an up to date report on the progress of voter ID legislation by state.

By Daniel Honeycutt, Intern

Jazz singer, Madeleine Peyroux, is a long time advocate and philanthropist of organizations fighting to end homelessness. She was born in Georgia, but grew up in the cities of New York City and Paris. She was inspired to start singing at age 15 after being inspired by the street musicians in the Latin Quarter of Paris. One year later she joined the Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band and toured Europe. In 1996 she released her first album, “Dreamland” and since then has released an addition three albums.

To pursue the playing of music as a career soon after, was for me a continuation of my time in those streets, with the families I had created and the echoes I had left behind.”

The singer, songwriter and guitarist has been compared to the likes of Billie Holiday. She has preformed all around the world. She has toured with big names, like Sarah McLachlan, but has also headlined her own tours around the country and world. Starting in 2005, Peyroux began adding a $1.00 surcharge to her concert tickets to raise money for local homeless organizations. Her efforts have raised thousands for organizations like Real Change in Seattle, Street Roots in Portland and the Emergency Family Assistance Association in Boulder, among many others. She is a strong supporter of the work of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

In addition to her philanthropic commitment, she was recently featured on a CD compilation called “Give US Your Poor.” The album features musicians, such as Bruce Springsteen, and collaborations with currently or formerly homeless musicians. The proceeds from the album benefit the national awareness campaign, Give US Your Poor. Madeleine Peyroux is a musician dedicated to making real change.

By Samantha McClean, Former NCH Intern

*Photo used with permission from Madeleine Peyroux

As of April 1, 2011 two homeless residents, George Grayson and Kyle Shaw of St. Petersburg, Florida are suing J.P Florida Productions, its owner Jeffery Williams as well as six female employees of the production company which is responsible for the videos posted and sold on shefights.net.  A temporary restraining order has been enacted and all eight defendants are each facing four charges including;  violation of the Florida Hate Crimes Act, violation of the Civil Remedies for Criminal Practice, Battery and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.

NCH’s own AmeriCorps*Vista volunteer G.W. Rolle who is based in St. Petersburg noticed a large number of homeless men walking around with limps, black eyes and other visible wounds beginning early this year.  After many inquiries he finally was told about a series of “beatdowns” being carried out by women associated with shefights.net.  This company (J.P. Florida Productions) would recruit homeless men to participate in their fights after which they would be paid up to $50.00 for enduring the twelve minutes of non-stop beating by scantly clad women.

Several years ago, NCH mounted a campaign against a similar groups of videos that were released under the name, BumFights.  These videos included homeless men beating each other up and performing dangerous stunts like banging their head through glass windows and going down stairs in a shopping cart. Rufus Hannah, now an NCH Speaker, and others who were compensated with a few dollars or a beer, suffered severe injuries as a result of the videos.  In a 60 Minutes investigation in 2006, a link was made between the BumFights videos, and youth who were “copying” what they saw in the videos, leading to random violence against people who were homeless.

According to the defendant in the shefights.net case, the plaintiffs signed releases before they were beaten.  However, neither Mr. Grayson nor Mr. Shaw ever had any knowledge that videos of the beatings were going to be posted or sold on the internet, in some cases for upwards of $600.  Also the severity of the beatings was way beyond their expectations.  During many of the beating the men were tied up, thus unable to fight back at all.  Both plaintiffs have suffered severe injuries ranging from a dislocated jaw, to severe torso bruising to lacerations caused by whipping.  Not to mention that after several of the beating the plaintiffs were never paid the money that they were promised.

According to an article published in the St. Petersburg Times on Tuesday April 12, the defendant, Mr. Williams, was quoted saying that he planned to counter sue claiming that the plaintiffs and their advocates lied and damaged his reputation.  He also said “These men are crack addicts and will say anything for money.”

Legal counsel for Mr. Shaw and Mr. Grayson believe that the reason these men were targeted by shefights.net was because they were homeless and vulnerable. Hence, Section 775.085 Florida Statue also know has as the Hate Crimes Act has been invoked on behalf of the plaintiffs.   A law that the National Coalition for the Homeless had a major hand in helping pass through the state legislature in the spring of 2010.  This is the first time since October 1, 2010 when the act took effect that it has been invoked.  Specifically the suit claims “Defendants chose to solicit, assault, and batter Plaintiffs because they were homeless, and Plaintiffs suffered injuries so severe as to evidence a hatred and contempt for people who are homeless.”

-Allison Sauls, Spring 2011 Intern

Each semester NCH welcomes some of the brightest up and coming homeless advocates to join our team as interns.  Our interns are critical contributors to NCH’s research, reporting and advocacy.  We’re extremely proud of our interns who continue to do great work in the homeless and anti-poverty community, like Shaun Donovan, who today heads up the US Department of Housing and Urban Development! Help us welcome our Spring 2011 crew:

Elan

Elan is a junior at George Mason University majoring in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She is also pursing  minors in legal studies and sociology. After graduation, Elan hopes to attend law school and fight for the rights of underrepresented people. She became interested in NCH when she did research on the criminalization of homelessness and learned about NCH’s advocacy work. When she has free time, Elan likes to volunteer at assistant living centers, explore DC cultural and dining centers, and watch romantic comedies. Currently, Elan is updating the fact sheets on homeless youth and homelessness in the LGBTQ community.

Samantha is a senior at George Washington University majoring in government studies and International Studies. She is also pursing a minor in French. After graduation, Samantha hopes to join the Peace Corps and serve others in West Africa. Samantha is an Alternative Spring Break Leader and is currently working on pulling together details for the homelessness Memorial Day project.

 

Allison is a junior at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas studying Urban Studies with a religion minor. She is studying at American University for as semester as part of the Transforming Communities program. Looking forward, Allison hopes to earn a Master’s of Divinity degree after college and advocate for the homeless. In her spare time Allison enjoys volunteering at community centers as well as modern and jazz dancing. Currently Allison is working on updating NCH manuals and researching the processes surrounding the enumeration of the homeless.

Gaberiel

Gaberiel is a senior at Hope College in Holland, MI studying Psychology and Political Science. She is in DC as part of her college’s DC Honors Semester Program. After graduation, Gaberiel hopes to participate in the Teach for America Program before she attends graduate school.  As a person who experienced a brief run in with homelessness with her mother growing up, advocating on behalf of the homeless is a very important part of her life. Gaberiel hopes that homeless children and teens know that they are not alone and that there are people out there that care about them and their families. She also hopes that everyone has access to opportunities to better themselves through education.  In her free time, Gaberiel likes to read books, spend time with friends, listen to music, and keep up on fashion trends. Currently she is working on the 2010 Criminalization of Homelessness Report.

Brendan

Brendan is the new Policy Fellow for NCH and we are very happy to have him! He graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in History and a J.D. He currently serves as the Presidential Management Fellow for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He looks forward to working on behalf of vulnerable populations through research, analysis, and advocacy that helps to reduce (and ultimately eliminate) homelessness in our society. When he is not in the office, Brendan enjoys exploring D.C.’s many restaurants and museums, reading at DuPont Circle, and obsessively following his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.

Brian

We also welcome, Brian, our new Bill Emerson Congressional Hunger Fellow. He graduated from Morehouse College in 2010 with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Brian became interested in NCH through his previous work with homelessness advocacy organizations.  In college, he spent a year and a half volunteering at the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, where he witnesses first hand the discrepancies between the resources needed and those allocated to them by the government.  In his free time, Brian likes reading and taking his dog to the park.

Did you spend some time with us as an intern or volunteer?  If so, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your experience!

Have you ever heard the expression, a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

photo credit: Phil Wood

Being in my early twenties,  I have not been following Nickelodeon’s hit tween show iCarly that closely. Though I had never watched the show, I have heard of its popularity with the tween crowd.  In the 1990’s, I grew up with shows such as The Secret World of Alex Mack, All That, and The Amanda Show, which I thought was the funniest thing on the planet.

At first glance, iCarly looks harmless, even tame compared to the rest of  Hollywood’s offerings. iCarly is centered around a tween girl named Carly Shay who lives with her 26 year-old guardian brother while their father is in the air force. Carly creates an online web show with her two best friends, Sam and Freddie. After Freddie tapes the girls performing at a school talent show and posts it online, the trio becomes an internet sensation.

iCarly has been airing since September of 2007, with the star, Miranda Cosgrove, making around $180,000 per episode. This salary is sickening enough, but recently, the successful show has been making fun of others in less fortunate positions. The TV series has been airing jokes about “hobos,” and has been featuring pictures on the show’s website from a ‘Hobo party’ and a fake blog interviewing “Hollywood the Hobo.”

Among 12 things about Hollywood the Hobo that are mentioned in the blog are that he:

  • “Knows how to ask for change in 12 languages. He put this on this resume under special skills.”
  • Says, “Any moron can have a job. It takes a special person NOT to have one!”
  • Believes that “Anywhere from five seconds to five weeks is fair game for eating food off the ground,” and
  • “Thinks underwear is a conspiracy created by laundry detergent companies to sell more bleach.”

If this blog were really about hobos in the traditional meaning, the “interview” with “Hollywood the Hobo” would not be mentioning pride in lack of employment as a characteristic of a hobo.

The word ‘hobo’ was used in the 1930’s mean a transient worker, but are young children going to know the difference between a slag used in the 1930′s and homelessness today?

Also, from reading that blog, kids could conclude that people living on the streets are there by choice, and are strange and amusing to poke fun of. (People become homeless for many different reasons, and often through no fault of their own.)

If the blog was not bad enough, take a look at the show’s website. Here you will find an array of pictures taken from a “hobo party” where the cast dresses up as homeless people. I am not sure what is more disturbing, the fact the cast thinks it is entertaining to dress up as homeless people, or that the mismatched bubblegum flavor clothing they don could be viewed as impoverished.   The photo op also features such comments as “Carly got her hobo costume from that new store in the mall called C.J. Penniless.”

Homelessness is not a laughing matter. People who are homeless struggle with trying to survive, from eating three meals a day to staying warm or even remaining safe. Hundreds of homeless people have been beaten for no apparent reason other than the fact that they are vulnerable and homeless.   Kids watching iCarly may learn that the courtesies extended to most of us do not apply to the homeless. Do kids seeing these images understand that homelessness can happen to anyone, even to other children?

It makes me sad that the channel I loved as a kid is now promoting this kind of narrow-mindedness. Please write Nickelodeon and tell them that this is not okay. If not, this cruel joke will continue.

– Gaberiel Johnson
NCH Intern

Read more on Change.org

March 14, 2010 Update: Nickelodeon and the iCarly show have removed the use of the term “hobo” from their materials, and have committed to do no further episodes on the theme.  Read more.