We wouldn't want the homeless to eat anything cooked haphazardly in someone's home when they could be getting professionally prepared restaurant food out of a dumpster...

This story comes from my hometown, courtesy of KCBD News channel 11.

Margaret Luger and her husband have fed the homeless every Monday in downtown Lubbock for two years, with food that they purchase at their own expense and prepare in their home. This Monday, the city stepped in and shut them down due to a violation of the local health code which prohibits serving food in public that was prepared in ones home kitchen. Apparently, the health department had received a complaint about the group of homeless people gathering to receive the food.

Of course, I'm sure the fact that they were homeless had no bearing on the decision to shut the operation down. I just love this quote from the city health inspector: "We're out here to make sure food is handled correctly and no one gets sick." As if the biggest health threat facing a group of people living on the street in 100 degree plus summer temperatures is contamination from a home cooked meal offered by a couple out of the kindness of their hearts.


The saddest thing about this is that in this time of obsessive budget cutting by the government, the homeless and other disadvantaged groups will be having to rely more and more on private charities and well-meaning individuals like the Lugers for help. This is not a good sign of things to come.


--Dan