Image by theeruditefrog via Flickrhttp://www.naturalnews.com/032630_homeless_charity_workers.html(NaturalNews) Feeding the homeless in a public park without the proper permits can land you in jail, at least in Orlando, Fla. A recent report in the Orlando Sentinel explains that police officers there arrested three volunteers with the Food Not Bombs (FNB) charity for illegally feeding a large group of homeless individuals in Orlando's Lake Eola Park.
Jessica Cross, 24, Benjamin Markeson, 49, and Jonathan "Keith" McHenry, 54, had been handing out food in the park when officers reportedly approached them. Local ordinances state that feeding more than 25 homeless people at a time in that area requires a city permit, and violation of these ordinances can result in a 60-day jail sentence, a $500 fine, or both. Because the group had not followed the rules, officers arrested the three with a set bail of $250 for each person.
"They basically carted them off to jail for feeding hungry people," said Douglas Coleman, a spokesman with the Orlando chapter of FNB. "For them (city officials) to regulate a time and place for free speech and to share food, that is unacceptable."
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