After testifying yesterday at a State Health Department hearing about Food Not Bombs, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen director Ron Krom was afraid of the repercussions. As a witness for Food Not Bombs he explained that the soup kitchen on Main Street regularly served a Sunday dinner with food prepared and donated by individuals in the community.
"I thought they might do something," Krom said Tuesday morning. "And here we are this morning being told we are going to be cited."
This morning, town sanitarian Fred Rehm appeared at the soup kitchen and informed Krom that the soup kitchen would be cited for serving food not prepared in a licensed kitchen.
Fred Rehm of Middletown's Health Department declined comment saying that the possible citation was part of an "ongoing investigation."
John Hall, pastor of First Church felt that the citation would have a chilling effect on charitable food distribution, and that it would send a ripple throughout the faith-based community.
"I think it's all based on a misinterpretation of state law," Hall said. He and a delegation from Middletown spoke about the problem with Secretary of State Richard Blumenthal.
"It's hard to believe the intent of the law was to allow an exemption from state statute for charitable organizations preparing food in unlicensed kitchens for sale in fundraisers, and not include organizations who give food to those in need," Hall said.
Hall indicated that the broader enforcement of the statute is likely the result of the Middletown Health Department's attempt to avoid being accused of selective enforcement.
"This is a state law they're enforcing" Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said. "Krom went on the record in a Health Department hearing, and now we can't ignore it. If they want to change the law because it's too broad and preventing some good from happening, then fine. This is really a scientific question, and if scientists decide that the risk is minimal then we'll follow those directives. But our Health Department is only following a state law to keep people safe, and even poor people deserve to be kept safe."
Christmas Meal At Risk
Hall worries that a strict interpretation of the current statutes will prevent his, and other churches, from serving meals to those in need, particularly regular holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"There aren't enough licensed kitchens in town to cook all those turkeys," Hall said. "You won't have people donating food if they have to go to a licensed kitchen to prepare it."
Giuliano cited the real risk of salmonella in turkey preparation.
"Thanksgiving is two months away," he said. "And there's got to be a way we can figure out how to cook enough turkeys in licensed kitchens between now and then to allow those meals to happen."
This recent concern with charitable meals prepared in unlicensed kitchens stems from the ongoing controversy with Food Not Bombs.
"We have to share our food with the poor" Krom said. "Unfortunately, if I hadn't testified I don't think that I would have received a citation today. In the end, I hope this will all bring about some social change."
"Look, if your goal is to get food to hungry people, no in town is trying to stop them" Giuliano said. "But it's our job to ensure that people are safe. I don't know if Food Not Bombs has some civil disobedience thing they want to express, but if they're just trying to thumb their noses at authority, I can't help them."
"Until we get a clear interpretation, it appears the city health department is going to press the issue for all charitable giving," Hall lamented. "And that's going to cause a problem."
UPDATE 9/22 4:10 PM: (This from Ron Krom at the St. Vincent's Soup Kitchen) While I was told in the morning that I would be "cited", the Health Department returned this afternoon with an inspection report with an identified violation. The report is a standard State of CT Department of Public Health Inspection Report for Food Service Establishments. We were found to be in violation of item #1,"approved source of food, wholesome, nonadulterated." The detail specified that "some donated food served on site is not prepared in licensed kitchens." I was told that I have two weeks to correct the violation, at which point we will be reinspected. If the violation is not corrected, "a number of things are possible, including shutting down the Soup Kitchen."
15 comments:
How nice to see the heavy hand of the Government cutoff food for the indigent during these times of extreme need. How many cases of food poisoning have there been at the soup kitchen during it's history. So instead of bringing those 2 or 3 pans of pasta leftover from a smoker or a bridal shower to St. Vincent's to feed a few dozen people, just toss it in trash.
How much more disgusting and managerial can the state get? If they cared about "public safety", people wouldn't be hungry. Instead, they act as if they "care" about people and that's why they are going after charitable organizations and groups protesting hunger. This is about control, plain and simple.
This is absurd! So glad my tax dollars are going toward citing St. Vincent's. I think of how much food could be bought with the money, as well as how much food could be prepared with the time that is being taken for this case. Blumenthal says it best--unbelievable.
Now let me get this right, Mr. Krom bravely speaks out at the hearing yesterday explaining how the Middletown Health Dept was unfairly targeting Food Not Bombs. (Mr Krom's testimony revealed that the Health Dept. was fully aware that there were other groups not in compliance and did not want to pursue them as they had Food Not Bombs.)
The Health Dept. is now obviously embarrassed and angry at Mr Krom, so they take out their revenge on these church groups the following day.
How the City of Middletown can sit back and say "we care about the poor", while at the same time preventing many folks who are actually doing something about it is laughable.
While I was told in the morning that I would be "cited", the Health Department returned this afternoon with an inspection report with an identified violation. The report is a standard State of CT Department of Public Health Inspection Report for Food Service Establishments. We were found to be in violation of item #1,"approved source of food, wholesome, nonadulterated." The detail specified that "some donated food served on site is not prepared in licensed kitchens." I was told that I have two weeks to correct the violation, at which point we will be reinspected. If the violation is not corrected, "a number of things are possible, including shutting down the Soup Kitchen."
If only it were as easy as Food Not Bombs wanting to "thumb their noses at authority."
People have been "sharing" food with each other since time immemorial. While it is good that in our time we have a healthy concern for the safety of food, at what point does the enforcement of a health code become just a silly and arbitrary exercise of authority to save face (or an even more sinister act of retribution against a member of the community involved in current legal proceedings)? Does anyone really doubt that conscientious members of the community pose a serious risk by cooking food in their homes? Yes, "even poor people deserve to be kept safe," though the kindly mayor makes no mention as to why some individuals in our community (which he is charged with serving and improving) suffer from poverty in the first place. How can anyone claim that shutting down food aid that's been going on for 30 years will help to keep hungry people safer?
It seems like an ordinance change would be the most effective and helpful thing to happen at this point in the debacle.
This is absolutely ridiculous. We all know that when the middle class is in a recession, the poor are in a depression. People depend on soup kitchens and community meals to be there. It's incredibly sad and frusturating to see the Middletown Health Department is going down the road of punishing good people and good organizations that only want to help and build community.
Ironically, if the Soup Kitchen charged for its Sunday meal, and used the money for charity, it would be completely legal.
I think they should charge a penny a meal.
I'll stand outside the door and hand out the pennies.
This is absurd. the health department doesnt want to do the rational thing and back down and lose face, so they decide to practice collective punishment against middletown's poor.
sure people might go hungry, but its better than looking bad.
reminds me of vietnam. they'll end up losing, but a lot of people will get hurt in the interim.
Hi Ed,
Good piece... thanks for sharing it on CTNewsJunkie as well.
Sad thing here is that all this food that comes from peoples' kitchens is coming from kitchens that government would cite for cleanliness and other issues. Maybe someone should ask the inspectors if they eat out of their own kitchens....
I might think twice when I get in the voting booth. Maybe lawyers should never be in charge.
This is when a Benevolent Dictator seems to be the best form of Government. How about a Mayoral Decree?
hahahahaha the health dept. probably feel like some losers rite about no cuz of this scandal, the soup kitchen is doing something good and like usual the goverment has to step in and mess things up.....wanna kno y cuz the heath dept. suks and if st. vincents wasnt there then the health dept is gunna facin some worse problems....Go Mr. Krom Good luck and dont woory u got mad ppl backn u up....!
At first it sounds like the City is in trying to look like they really are not selectively enforcing ordinances (regarding Food Not Bombs).
But on second reading, it sure looks like the City is targeting the Soup Kitchen because they spoke up at a hearing. Wow! Retribution code enforcement!
I sure hope the City doesn't get sued over this, as I'm a taxpaying home owner. But they sure do deserve it. The point of a law suit is to force the City to be equitable, and not favor or oppose certain groups selectively. If they'd just done that in the beginning, none of this would have happened.
Geez!! Enough alraedy. There is an ordinance. The Health Dept has been forced to enforce it by the overt public actions of BNF and by the public testimony of the soup kitchen. Is the ordiancne riduculous? Personaly, I don't think so. But if you do, instead of bashing and insinuating all kinds of unkind things against people who are employed to make sure our food supply is safe, why dont' you 1) find out if the law can be changed 2) work with your rep or senator and get it changed 3) do something constructive with your outrage besides just sitting on the sidelines critisizing everyone?
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