NEWS

Firms, churches at odds over meals for homeless

Jimmie E. Gates
The Clarion-Ledger

Feeding the homeless in Smith Park in downtown Jackson on the weekend is drawing the ire of some in the business community who complain of trash and other debris left behind at the park.

“We are having various churches in the area who are showing up with food trucks and no permits and they are having gatherings,” said Downtown Jackson Business Partners Executive Director Ben Allen. “You should see the trash we are picking up on Sunday afternoons or Monday morning. If anyone wants to use the park they can do so, but they have to go through the permit process. You have to have insurance and you have to clean it up; you have to have security.”

But Allen said the churches don’t have permits.

Allen said local churches and social service organizations that help the homeless on a daily basis would be happy to work with the churches from surrounding counties to help the homeless without the Sunday meals in Smith Park.

“We welcome their hearts but we got to get them working within the system,” Allen said.

The park is slated to undergo a proposed $2.1 million facelift next year.

“We can’t spend $2.1 million on Smith Park and get it beautiful and have people treat it with reckless abandonment and don’t pay any attention to rules and regulations,” Allen said.

Matt Hopkins of Why Not Now Ministries said it’s his understanding the local business community is trying to do away with feeding the homeless in Smith Park. He said there has been some pressure to possibly stop the feeding operation because some business owners are unhappy.

“It is a public park and meant to be used by people in the Jackson area.” Hopkins said. “Whether you are homeless; whether you are poor or whether you are wealthy, the park is there to be used. The park is there to be enjoyed. How can one element of the population be forbidden from the park. To me, that doesn’t make a whole lot sense.”

Hopkins said Why Not Now Ministries of Mississippi has been serving meals to the homeless in Smith Park since 2011.

“To us it’s not about the meals, there is something about breaking bread with people,” Hopkins said. “It’s about breaking down walls of social injustice. People need to know that no matter what their background that they are more than just a statistic.”

Hopkins said they usually at the park from 12:30 p.m. to about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday and they clean up any debris they have. He said they provide meals to anywhere from 65 to 95 people on Sundays.

“During the time we spend at Smith Park we are not only serving a hot meal but we are also building relationships,” Why Now Now Ministries says. “Through these relationships we offer to help anyone to is committed to finding employment and moving off the streets or out of the shelters a chance to do so.”

Restaurant owner Tom Ramsey, president of the Downtown Business Association of Jackson, said they are sympathetic to the homeless, but there concern is Smith Park becoming a defacto homeless facility.

Ramsey said what the business people want is to focus the churches’ effort toward working with established outlets that already do a good job of helping the homeless such as Stewpot Community Services and Gateway Rescue Mission.

“When the park gets trashed, it’s up to us to clean it up,” said Ramsey, whose restaurant is near Smith Park.

Ramsey said last week he personally cleaned up trash from the park after the Sunday’s meals were provided.

“We would gladly work along side these groups to find a solution,” Ramsey said.

Jackson’s Downtown Neighborhood Association President Michael Rejebian said there will always be homeless people downtown and downtown residents will have to learn to coexist with them.

“What we are trying to figure out is a solution that is good for everyone,” said Rejebian, who has lived downtown for seven years. “It is a difficult thing to do.”

Rejebian said he believes that pooling resources is the best way to help. He said when resources are scattered you’re not getting the best bang for your buck.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at (601) 961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.