Food Not Bombs coming to Church Hill?

How about Jobs Not Welfare?

Hey Vito! Jobs for the homeless and welfare-dependent would be great!!! However, unless you are in the position to hire someone and pay them enough so they don’t need public assistance anymore or happen to have the inside scoop on some living-wage jobs, you are not qualified to pass judgment on anyone but yourself. Maybe volunteer for Food Not Bombs and meet some real people that depend on their feeding program? I promise you’d get a new perspective of the working poor, homeless and welfare recipients.

Mary Anne-I hate to bust your liberal bubble, but most don’t want to work because there is no incentive. To volunteer for FNB is like hanging around a freak show-thanks but no thanks. Perhaps you should google: “personal responsibility” or take a course in REALITY 101.

Cheers to all of you working to help those less advantaged than you. It is a delusional person who thinks he or she could not be homeless, hungry and alone in the world one day.

John,

Any idea where they plan to hold these “feedings”?

St. Patrick’s Church on 25th St. used to have a Saturday feeding program called Loaves and Fishes. I don’t recall the neighbors complaining about it when they had it. Perhaps the folks posting on this thread didn’t live up here when they had it going, cause some of you seem pretty against that sort of thing. I know for a fact that there were some neighbors who ate there sometimes when their money ran short towards the end of the month – and they ones I am thinking of were not homeless, just poor.

Speaking of which, as I was traveling to work today I noticed a few homeless people hanging out and sitting on a few cars. I understand that there are homeless people around and I often chat with them and give them food (if I have any) but be careful because I saw them sitting on an older blue car this am. and a white ford. I am sure they met no harm, but they could cause some dents and scratches if they are not careful. In fact after i told one to be careful, he instanty told me he was sorry and walked away (he seemed tipsy) who knows.

I am all for feeding the people that are less fortunate, but I want nothing to do with this hippy vegan movement.
I had a guy show up at the house last month asking for some food. I could tell he was hungry, so we gave him some yogurt and a soda (all we had worth giving out at the time). He looked happy, thanked us, and walked away. We never saw him after that. I don’t mind the food beggars but hate the money beggars.

It is true that the Conrad Center on Oliver Hill Way fills this need. Loaves and Fishes operates out of that facility. It is effective and well-run – and central enough. Food Not Bombs is doing this to make a statement about the use of public parks and land. They say elites are trying to run the homeless out of the public parks. What they don’t realize is that FNB runs everyone else out of the parks.

Video http://monroecampaign.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/new-video/

#20 St Pat’s member: thank you for clarifying. I’ve lived up here for over twenty years, and didn’t think Loaves and Fishes was shut down for complaints, but wasn’t sure enough to post.

I understand from post #17 that it got folded into the Conrad Center.

Be,

There is nothing wrong with helping people but apparently you were involved with a different group of FNB people in Boston. If you check out the Oregon Hill site they are making a huge stink over the plans to close Monroe Park for renovation.

From what you read on the other site, they seem to be more interested in making political statements than actually helping people. Plus, from what some of them actually write, they seem to be quite a tasty militant bunch as well.

I, personally, have no interest in dealing with any of them…there are other organizations that do the same things but focus on helping people and seem to be a great deal nicer…

First Amendment right to assemble. And I’m gathering everyone has the right to picnic in a park. The list of various organizations -for profit and not -who have shared meals in a public park is long. I’m fine with FNB -they’re against bombs and giving out free food -what’s not to like?

ever notice how the nastiest commenters are always the ones with the cool cyber names.? maybe you should just sign yourself”hateful asshole”. oh and yes i say mean things too. mostly to hateful assholes.just because mrs.massey doesnt want to have to look at poor people as she rides by monroe park doesnt give her the right to starve folks who depend on that meal.if you dont want the govt. to help these homeless folks and you deride the work done by groups like fnb whats your solution you disagreeable mooks?

There is NOT a large sector of homeless/drifter/vagabond types in Church Hill. My “nasty” (or shall we say “realistic”) comments are asking a few solid questions the local FNB 404 chapter should ask THEMSELVES before they bring their mess into 23223. Namely:

*will they get a permit?
*will they clean up after themselves?
*will this be more than a social club?
*will they involve anyone outside their own demographic AND will they people they help represent the ACTUAL demographic of this part of town? Maybe they should set up their tables and literature in Mosby Court, or Creighton, or Fairfeild. I wonder if the average FNB member in River City even knows where those places are without a gps on their IPhone.

If FNB wants to really help some folks who need to be fed, maybe they should venture north of Venable Street. Nearly 90% of the kids enrolled at Chimbo, Mason, Fairfeild, MLK & Armstrong receive a free school lunch. There is a need in Church Hill, for sure, for people to be fed. So if this chapter of FNB takes themselves seriously, they should take a bit of action by getting to know their neighbors and moving to where people need to be fed. If they do no more than head to Jefferson Park and feed stale bread & soup to mostly white tatted 20somethings, THEY WILL NOT BE HELPING anything BUT THEIR OWN EGOS.

By the way, I personally have participated in FNB (not in RVA) dozens and dozens of times. Every chapter I volunteered for had their shit together. What do I do now? I work 60 hours a week with kids in Church Hill.

A bunch of drunks leaving behind disposable cups & plates on the grass is NOT a benefit to the 23223.

For the record, and I know this might shatter the fragile agnostic/anarchy-fantasizing egos of some of the weekend activists, but there are ample food resources for the down and out. Many people going hungry get help from religious-based organizations. And guess what, the people who are being fed by churches for the most part don’t know or care about your revolution, your diet of revolution, or your new commie symbol tat. by the way, I’ve been veggie/vegan for over 2 decades so I put my money where my mouth is and I back it up. All without pushing my politics into anyones face.

You want change? BE IT. But I challenge FNB and BuddyCrackpot to DIG A LITTLE DEEPER first. Think and plan, maybe even get yourself through school and qualified to do something to bring social change. It takes more than a group house full of smelly kids cooking bland, pilfered grub to make any long term change. Repeating myself, serving food “to anyone” is a cute gesture, but we need more than cute… and for damn sure the Hill does NOT need half-hearted, sloppyass vicarious “activists” who come by for a few hours at a time, make a mess with their pals and leave. That nonsense is better suited for the VCU campus.

This is a great example of why so many dislike what Church Hill has become. I challenge each of you who talk about the group’s feeding and impose judgements on them: do you know these people personally that plan to serve food in your community? Have you talked to them about their intentions, experiences, background, political beliefs, personal responsibility and, indeed, whether or not they have a permit or will leave a mess? If not, why not wait until you actually have something to complain about, until the feeding actually occurs and there is an issue, than spewing hate all over the internet about people who are just trying (more than a lot of “neighbors” I know around here) to give back? I am sorry you are so jaded as to feel like you have to rant in outrage about anything that is not in your comfort zone, (or in some of your cases, experiences from other states that have nothing to do with these people in the church hill fnb), but honestly people, there are worse things in Church Hill to be disgusted with than some people serving food in a park. Church Hill is not the little upper-middle-class playground that so many seem to like to imagine it to be, and there are lots of different kinds of people that may live here, may need help, may give assistance, and may care about each other. Yes, religious organizations do serve food. But what is so wrong with other community members cooking and serving as well? What is really so offensive about serving food in a public park, because that is all that is really valid knowledge about what the church hill fnb group is planning to do? I don’t know who you are, but I would feel more comfortable with my kids sharing a park with a group that is trying to do good and has a goal (successful or no) of bringing the community together than with hatemongers that want to judge and divide community members based on income or appearances (or anything else besides character), like you. Once this feeding starts, we can all begin to share our opinion validly, but really, it hasn’t even started yet… why so quick to judge? If you are so worried, why not attend a meeting and voice your concerns? I hope some of you know what you sound like, which borders on some pretty nasty prejudices.. and i genuinely hope that’s not the case in this situation. i see these attitudes every day in this neighborhood, and it makes me sick. for all we know, this could be a great thing for the people who utilize it, and most likely won’t even affect a lot of you that are voicing opposition, unless you want it to.

I happen to agree with reality-checkup and why can’t anyone sympathizing with the FNB folks answer the questions raised in #29? Are they really that hard to answer?

edg,

I got most of what I’ve heard off the Oregon Hill blog (http://www.oregonhill.net/2010/11/29/feeding-groups-trash-leftovers-monroe-park-112810/)

From what I understand here, FNB doesn’t feel like the Conrad center is adequate for the needs of the homeless and it’s tucked in across the street from the jail which is not acceptable. The don’t want the homeless “hidden”.

Personally, I think they are just bitching to have something to bitch about but that’s just me. Personally, I think the Conrad Center (with a kitchen, seating, a bathroom, and HEAT) would be the perfect place for someone who is homeless. Certainly parks don’t have kitchens and heat…although FNB probably thinks the city should fund such things in a park.

sew: the reason why I, personally, as a “sympathizer” to fnb, cannot answer the questions in #29 (which I agree are definitely valid) is that I am not them and can’t speak for them or about their logistics or intentions; those questions can only be answered by the church hill fnb group themselves. The only thing the church hill fnb has stated is that they would like to get a group together to serve food in the park, nothing more. If you want answers, perhaps you could approach them more directly about your/others’ concerns and maybe that would make everyone feel more at ease with this whole thing. (or not, i guess, depending on the answers you get).
Another thing-to everyone else- “food not bombs” is a general umbrella name that many different types of groups serve food under. It is not a centralized organization, and just because many groups call themselves food not bombs, does not mean they are affiliated with each other, have the same people working with them, have the same politics, or have the same anything, really, except for the desire to serve food. some serve meat, some (most) don’t, some are politically active, some aren’t. some people involved are “punk” kids, some are middle-aged and more conservative, some are college kids, some are families with kids, some are activists, some are professionals, some are retired. some are a mixed group of many different types of people from the community working together. i’ve seen many examples and have seen many of these groups work very peacefully alongside/for their community. i am wondering if this idea is getting a bad rap because of the monroe park fnb group’s being in the media spotlight lately. before you label the church hill food not bombs and attack them, maybe try to see for yourself what they are about first, that’s all.
annnddd.. i guess i’ve been talking about “they” and “them” when referring to the group, but it seems as though they have open meetings and want others in the community involved in their startup process…hardly seems like a separatist attitude.