#dwayne black

Some Good News Today: Judge Says, ‘The Homeless of Fort Lauderdale Can Be Fed For Now’

Fort Lauderdale Police Officer, Sgt. Al Lerner (R), speaks with Arnold Abbott, a 90-year-old chef , as he warns him that he will be cited for feeding homeless in violation of a recently passed city law on November 12, 2014 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Joe Raedle — Getty Images

Critics claimed city unfairly targeted the homeless and individuals providing relief

A court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Remember the 90-year-old man who got arrested for feeding homeless people? Well, he's back in the news. 

Last Sunday, Arnold Abbott, Pastor Dwayne Black of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Mark Sims of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Coral Springs fed homeless people in a public park in South Florida two days after the city passed a new ordinance outlawing the provision of food to vagrants in public. After getting arrested, the two pastors and elderly homeless advocate each face a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.

“One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon,” recalled Abbott. “It’s man’s inhumanity to man is all it is.”

On Wednesday evening, Abbott and Pastor Black remained undeterred as they served a four-course meal to nearly 100 homeless people at Fort Lauderdale Beach. After police officers recorded the simple act of kindness on their video cameras, they escorted Abbott away from the crowd to fingerprint him and issue another citation. Wary of public backlash, law enforcement officials chose not to place Abbott in handcuffs and haul him off to jail again.

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A World War II veteran and civil rights activist, Abbot [sic] has been serving the homeless for over 20 years in honor of his late wife. Since feeding homeless people has become his life’s work, Abbott operates several programs including a culinary school that trains homeless people how to cook while helping them find jobs in local kitchens. Through his nonprofit organization, Love Thy Neighbor, Abbott has helped put hundreds of homeless people through culinary school.

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Abbott boldly stated Mayor Seiler and the city commission are just puppets of business owners who want to either run the homeless out of town or keep them out of sight. Fearing a drop in tourism and a recent rise in the local homeless population, city officials have decided to design laws targeted at punishing impoverished people instead of addressing the larger issues of assisting those often plagued by mental health disorders and substance abuse addictions.

In 1999, the city attempted to prevent Abbott from feeding homeless people on Fort Lauderdale Beach. In response, Abbott sued the city and won.

Bossip.com

Feeding the poor is an act of charity that is honored in any society. Every major religion would preach and advocate such an action.

But it seems that the local government and police force in Fort Lauderdale, Florida would beg to differ. Last Sunday, police charged 90-year-old Arnold Abbot, forfeeding the homeless. Something which he has done for the past twenty years. Also charged are…

90-year-old man and two ministers arrested for feeding homeless

  November 05, 2014

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Two pastors and a 90-year-old man were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday for feeding the homeless.

Local 10reports that homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, and Christian ministers Dwayne Black and Mark Sims face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine on charges they resisted a new ordinance in the beachside city that places heavy restrictions on…