A Eugene nonprofit that feeds the homeless said the city won’t approve its permit. The city said that its concerns about cleanliness haven’t been addressed.
The Breakfast Brigade serves free meals at Washington Jefferson Park on Wednesday through Saturday mornings. Organizers estimate they feed 75 to 150 people a day.
The organization, which was formerly known as Eugene Catholic Worker, has been operating in the park for nine years. But starting last October, the city has challenged the group’s presence there.
Lisa Levsen, a board member and volunteer with the Breakfast Brigade, said volunteers were told to stop serving meals in the park in October, and that the city was not interested in renewing their permit.
“We said, ‘we've been serving the park for nine years,’” said Levsen. “We're not leaving.”
The Brigade relocated to a nearby sidewalk earlier this year, but they say this has exposed workers to the sun and rain. Then, in June, the Eugene Police Department instructed volunteers to leave that location under the threat of citation or arrest.
On July 6, the Breakfast Brigade applied for a permit to operate in the park.
Kelly Shadwick, the Community Engagement Manager with Eugene Parks and Open Space, said she’s received the application. But she said in order to obtain the permit, volunteers must commit to being more responsible.
Shadwick said neighbors have expressed concerns about diners leaving trash in the park and volunteers damaging the turf with their vehicles. According to her, a permit could include new terms that require volunteers to do additional clean-up.
“Regardless of what great services are happening in our parks, we do need to make sure that essential park rules are being followed,” she said.
Levsen said the group has tried to address these concerns by moving its vehicles and using its own trash cans, but the city has not budged.
“We met every single thing that they asked us to, and they still won't issue a permit,” she said.
According to Levsen, the city has yet to propose a suitable alternative location. She said they need a flat, covered area that doesn't require the homeless to travel too far from their tents in the Whiteaker neighborhood.
Levsen said the Breakfast Brigade wants to operate legally, in the park or elsewhere. But she said the group will take legal action if its permit is denied.
“We're not going to stop feeding these people,” she said. “They have no other source of food. We get people who come to the line that say on the days that we don't serve, they don't eat.”
Shadwick said the city wants to help organizers find a new location, possibly elsewhere within the park. They plan to meet together in August.
