Philadelphia woman faces $600-a-day fine for feeding needy neighborhood kids

reply to post by nightstalker78

Reality check.

Would you let your kids eat the food shes provided?

My gut tells me no...but maybe that's because I'm a father myself.

No way my little girl is taking any kind of food from anyone she doesn't know.

She has been doing this for awhile, so therefore she must have earned the trust of those whom she feeds, don't you think? I do agree, that I wouldn't allow my child to eat something given away from a stranger, but then again, I have never had a child who had to go hungry, so I can't put myself in that position to judge......

Then when she gives them tainted meat and 12 kids have to go to the ER for e coli. poisoning, you will be complaining how your taxes will now have to take care of these leeches.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Leeches?

Leeches being the children?

Nice.

In Phoenix they will write you up for passing out free bottled (ie, untampered) water to homeless people in 112 degree heat so I am not surprised (there is another thread on that one)...but I feel that one has a constitutional right to exercise her moral obligation to help those less fortunate. Charitable tax deductions will be next...as only the state has the authority to decide who gets helped and when...at least that is what is being practiced.

Gotta love the great Empire States of America!

Another classy move by those in charge.


Anyway back to the topic at hand. It is unfathomable to me that a person is not allowed to help another human being in need. Who cares if there are organizations, churches, etc that deal with this...let's put that aside for now.

We've ll grown up being taught to treat people with respect, and to treat others how we want, and to be respectful and help those in need Now, those very ideals are now a punishable offense? TPTB are playing a sick joke with no punchline on society, and quite frankly I don't know how much more of this crap people are going to take (in the US).

This abuse is only going to get worse...

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


There are posts all over ATS about the leeches on welfare. But welfare is food handed out to families with children who need it.

But my point is that there is a risk with people handing out free food.

Which is why restaurants of all types are not allowed to give away or donate free food, because of liability.

And don't think the needy won't come back and bite you inteh ass with a lawsuit if you make them sick.

In this case, we count with the name of the person who can solve the situation. He can be mass-emailed.

William Pisarek, the Chester Township business manager

reply to post by nixie_nox

But my point is that there is a risk with people handing out free food.

Which is why restaurants of all types are not allowed to give away or donate free food, because of liability.

And don't think the needy won't come back and bite you inteh ass with a lawsuit if you make them sick.

Is there not a risk buying manufactured food in the grocery store? Yes, these big corporations do have insurance to deal with incidents that happen, where this charitable woman doesn't, but would it not make you think that she would be very careful as to what she feeds them?

The risks of getting sick from eating food is far more beneficial than the illnesses one may get from malnutrition.....I suppose eating out of a dumpster, is far safer? I mean, when people are hungry, they will eat whatever they can get their hands on when their stomachs start to hurt...

The attitude that we must rely on the government to tell us what is safe to eat, and what is not, proves that we are living in a nanny state in this country.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Then when she gives them tainted meat and 12 kids have to go to the ER for e coli. poisoning, you will be complaining how your taxes will now have to take care of these leeches.

You do make a point, having worked in a major grocery store chain years ago, and knowing friends that have worked in restaurants...the amount of "good" food that is thrown away is staggering. I remember we used to have this man come in everyday to get all the day old baked goods for some sort of homless food program, and that was stopped due to fear of lawsuits, it killed the people working in the bakery having to just throw this food away.....lol, and they certainly weren't going to give it to thier employees either.

Now a "rule" or law that would make sense is that any food consumed through a charity or for free, is exempt from any lawsuits if someone gets sick, which I suspect is a rare occurance anyways. Now digging through garbage bins for food is much more likely to get people sick IMO....I can also tell you that the jobs at this particular market used to be decent jobs, but the union was basically broken while I worked for them, even working full time, a person working at store level will take home an average of $1000 to $1200 a month now a days after taxes....no can live off that, at least not in CA...anyways alot of hardworking people are struggling...so I'm not so quick to call anyone a "leech", yeah...perhaps there are some who take advantage, and those would probably be the one's who would sue for all kinds of "bogus" reasons.

The reason this country, the US, is broke has very little to do with social programs, and everything to do with the contanst wars, wasteful spending, bailouts to "gangsters, and I could go on and on...but when someone tries to take on the problems of poverty in a creative way, that does NOT involve government, they are being demonized and harrassed...it's just not right....and really what this woman is doing is for a small amount of children in her neighborhood...and really not that much different then what parents, especially mothers, have been doing all my life.....when you have kids, they bring home other kids to play, and you feed them, if little "Johnny's" Mom had to work late, you invite the kid to dinner, when there was a big earthquake and all the markets were closed for over a week, all the neighbors shared what food everyone had on hand, the dad's barbaqued in the streets and all the kids were fed, as things get tougher, neighbors are going to need to pull together, especially in high poverty areas, and after disasters.....it's called being human and helping your fellow man.

reply to post by seeker1963


I see your point but grocery stores and then restaurants have to meet FDA guidelines. This woman does not. You don't know she isn't washing her hands or leaving meat out all day.

There are foodborn illnesses worse than malnutrtion, e. coli can shut your kidneys down. What e.coli does is worse than malnutrition. It causes severe diarreah for 8-10 days. Severe dehydration. IT can cause neurological damage, diabetes. ANd long term, incurable consequences. That is why the government takes food poisoning so seriously.

I am not saying this woman would intentionally do that. Bless her heart.

But mass distribution of food has its risks.

reply to post by MountainLaurel


Why don't they make laws like that?

reply to post by nixie_nox

I see your point but grocery stores and then restaurants have to meet FDA guidelines. This woman does not. You don't know she isn't washing her hands or leaving meat out all day.

There are foodborn illnesses worse than malnutrtion, e. coli can shut your kidneys down. What e.coli does is worse than malnutrition. It causes severe diarreah for 8-10 days. Severe dehydration. IT can cause neurological damage, diabetes. ANd long term, incurable consequences. That is why the government takes food poisoning so seriously.

I am not saying this woman would intentionally do that. Bless her heart.

But mass distribution of food has its risks.

Agreed!



I won't deny there are not risks in someone giving out free food, but the FDA is far from being an organization that people can put there trust in.....

Originally posted by gosseyn
That's pretty incredible. I am sure they will come with excuses like "we are not sure the food is safe" etc..

But, I live in western Europe, and I can tell you that those news that come from the US are alarming. Everyday I hear that this man was fined because he uses rain water, or that woman arrested because of this or that, and every time I ask to myself "is that real?" "did they really arrest or kill or fine that man or woman because of that?", "did they really pass that new law?". And if all that is really true, well guys, I think it's time to do something. For example in France, the people show their anger for less than that.

...and yet Europe is who we are becoming like. The Progressive agenda is to turn the US into a Socialist style State like most European nations including France and the UK.

This level of regulation and denial of privacy is new to us and learned from the Europeans. Obama and his followers are enamored of the European Nanny State model and trying to shove it down our throats. For instance the video surveillance was learned from the UK and we are not happy that the US is copy catting that.

You will find this is only occurring in communities governed by Progressives aligned with the European model. The more control the Progressives have, the less Freedom and more regulation. Much of the US rejects this fully at a local and State level.

You can tell what a community or State will be like based on how they vote. The more Progressive, the more regulation and the higher the taxes. Progressive area's have the highest unemployment and the most problems with gangs and crime. Progressive cities are starting to file bankruptcy in fact as they discover that a Nanny State is a one way street to a two Class society and poverty. Socialism always ends up the same with the only exceptions being countries with tiny populations.

reply to post by nixie_nox

But my point is that there is a risk with people handing out free food.

As was pointed out. There is risk eating food from anywhere. I have a few of my own stories on that. Malnutrition, as was pointed out, is very risky. Malnutrition is more risky then E. coli because of the likelihood. Malnutrition is as guaranteed as getting dehydrated if you stop drinking water.

Which is why restaurants of all types are not allowed to give away or donate free food, because of liability.

Having been a strong presence in student housing and co-housing in progressive California I regularly picked up free food from restaurants and food chains. As was pointed out, the amount of good food thrown out is staggering. And not just food, but that's another point.

And don't think the needy won't come back and bite you inteh ass with a lawsuit if you make them sick.

Cup is half empty or half full. Optimist or pessimist.

Anyways, I understand that risk too. Which is indeed why some restaurants and food chains turned down giving away their perfectly good free food. There is something to be said though about the motives. Theirs was money and not a concern for public health. The lady in the article is concerned about their health and not about money. That to me means something.

Any sane person wants a standard of food safety and sanitary practices....and I'm sure there are many good people working toward those means.....the FDA is corrupt at the top levels.....and it is a very complicated issue, but if I may I hope the OP will invite another angle to this story...

In my life I have known and been touched by 3 very special women, that always had a hug, a hot meal and a smile....lol...we were not poor, my folks just worked alot.......all were older women, Grandma age.....my Aunt Rita, Irish to the core, always had a pot of Pasta Vazoo on the stove....I only went there six times maybe in my life, and you always felt welcome....... my friend's the Hernandiz family's Grandma loved us, and I never understood a word she said, except she cared about us and wanted us kids to eat....mmmm yummy food...... and my other friends family, that were Jewish and the Grandma was also hard to understand...but did speak broken English, escaped from Nazi Germany, was as loving as you get, but that was my least favorite food......they eat wierd stuff....but I choked down a few bites out of respect to her......

I guess my point is, maybe there is a much bigger thing then just feeding a few hungry kids, lol, and kids get hungry alot, maybe what she provides is something much bigger to these kids, a soft place to land, in a very tough word....my Aunt Rita told me once before she passed away......."Shar....I can only influence those that are in my direct environment, I can't save the world, and for my kids, thier kids, and all the friends they have, my home will always be a place they can come get some love and pasta vazoo.....and you can bet her home was filled every Sunday with lot's of Love, lmao....and a Steeler's game if that time of season....lot's of beer, they have basements back east...anyways...really feeling my Aunt...am going to Pittsburgh next week for a wedding, her Grandaughter, and I know she will be with us...♥

Originally posted by MountainLaurel
reply to post by nightstalker78

 

Thankfully my daughter never missed a meal in her life, and no I probably wouldn't let her eat food given to her by a stranger.....but as you have pointed out this area seems to have alot of poverty, and the reasons for that are a whole other subject. It's not the kids fault that thier parents are poor, and this woman sees a need and out of the goodness of her heart has tried to fill it...

The "rules" in this case are just so blatantly unfair, and treating this woman like a criminal, and threatening her with fines, $600 a day, give me a break....then what, throw her in jail if she can't pay them? Enough is Enough with these oppressive laws !

You 'probably' wouldn't let her eat food given to her by a stranger? I think you need to rethink that. That area indeed has a lot of poverty..big time.And it seems to me this woman wants to be a hero and feed all the neighborhood children..BUT she doesn't want to do it the right way.She'd rather bitch about fines and all that.

I agree it isn't the kids fault the parents are poor..but really,don't have kids if you can't afford to feed them.That 40 OZ of beer or that rock of coc aine you just bought should've gone to your kids and not your habit.Again,I can say that because I grew up in the area and that's exactly whats going on there.

reply to post by acmpnsfal


Do your understand what Agenda 21 is all about? It's only good if it comes from the gov't. and the UN. How much money do you take from the taxpayers? How much cheaper does it come from charities?

You need to do some reading. Who profits from the gov't "handouts."

Originally posted by nightstalker78
That area indeed has a lot of poverty..big time

Only the more reason to feed them.

And it seems to me this woman wants to be a hero

Your subtle words are not so subtle.

and feed all the neighborhood children..BUT she doesn't want to do it the right way.

"the right way"

She'd rather bitch about fines and all that.

Sure undermine the part where she is feeding hungry children for free and focus on her being a $*%& about fines. Whatever suits your fancy.

I agree it isn't the kids fault the parents are poor..

Yeah it's not. I agree too.

but really,don't have kids if you can't afford to feed them.

The kids already exist regardless. They exist. What 'shoulda coulda' doesn't change that fact. Have a heart.

That 40 OZ of beer or that rock of coc aine you just bought should've gone to your kids and not your habit.

What does that have to do with the kids being hungry and receiving free food from her? Seriously...what?

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy




Dude,you breaking down my posts like you just did,doesn't make you seem more intelligent.

You got what i was saying...

And it has EVERYTHING to do with it if you know the area.The parents are not parents..they are trash.

They let their kids run wild and what not...It's friggin sad that they're letting their kid be fed by someone else.

Originally posted by nightstalker78

Dude,you breaking down my posts like you just did,doesn't make you seem more intelligent.

I break down the posts for clarity.... to respond to each point... how does that equate to me taking some superior position?

And it has EVERYTHING to do with it if you know the area.The parents are not parents..they are trash.

Again AGAIN lol. What does that have anything to do with this?? It doesn't have everything to do with this, it has nothing to do with this (until you present an argument otherwise).

So they live in a bad neighborhood. So their parents don't care as much as they should. What does that have anything to do with the fact that they are hungry and a woman gave them food??

They let their kids run wild and what not...It's friggin sad that they're letting their kid be fed by someone else.

Maybe it is sad . But that's all about the parents. We are talking about the kids. Get the difference?