Free meals prepared at St. Timothy’s Episcopal in Brookings, Ore.
The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon and the Episcopal Church of St. Timothy
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The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon and the Episcopal Church of St. Timothy
Free meals prepared at St. Timothy’s Episcopal in Brookings, Ore.
The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon and the Episcopal Church of St. Timothy
An Oregon church has sued the town where it is located for a new local ordinance that limits the number of free meals the church can provide each week to those in need.
Episcopal Church of St.
“We’ve been serving our community here for decades and find space when the need exists and no one else comes in,” said Father Bernie Lindley. said in a statement.
“We have no intention of stopping now, and we are prepared to hold on to our beliefs. We will not abandon the people at Brookings who need our help, even if we do not. we are under threat,” he added.
Brookings Mayor Ron Hedenskog and City Manager Janell Howard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pandemic increases the need to go to church
One of the many consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in early 2020 was a spike in food insecurity across the US Non-profit organization Feeding America estimates 45 million people, including 15 million children, were food insecure that year.
The same is true of Brookings, a town of about 6,700 residents in the far southwest corner of Oregon. Saint Timothy has been work with other churches to make sure locals can get a free meal every day of the week, but some churches suspended their meal programs when the pandemic started, according to the lawsuit. In turn, St. Timothy began offering meals six days a week, serving up to 70 people at lunchtime.
The church also offers COVID-19 testing and immunizations. At one point, the city asked St. Timothy allowed people who needed to sleep in their cars to use their parking lot, and the church agreed, the filing said.
But homeless services began ranking residents near St. Timothy’s, who complain about trespassing, littering, and noise in their neighborhood, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Residents sent the city a petition in April asking for the church’s homeless services to end.
In October, the city council passed an ordinance creating a permit for “benevolent meal service” and limiting it to twice per week. The only nonprofit in Brookings that provides free meals to the homeless is the church, according to OPB.
Response from St. Timothy’s leads to legal action
At the time of the vote, Mayor Hedenskog said the city council was trying to consider the needs of people coming to St. Timothy’s to be of service and concern to local residents, the site Wild Rivers Outpost reported.
“No one on this council has attacked St. Timothy. It’s not because we’re all evil. It’s because we’re meeting a need. [to serve] a dual purpose. There are other ways to explain what’s happening without humiliating the city council,” he said, according to the news site. I am very sad about this. I was annoyed by it for weeks. There has never been a statement from this board or staff about the closure of charity kitchens. We are trying to achieve equilibrium. “
However, the church said it took legal action against Brookings, arguing that the ordinance violated “their freedom to express their Christian faith, which calls them to serve others in need. ” The church said it has not yet applied for the permits required under the new ordinance.
Bishop Diana Akiyama, of the Oregon Episcopal Diocese, said she supports the church and its efforts to provide free meals to those who need them.
“St. Timothy’s parishioners are following the teachings of Jesus as they provide food and medical care to their community,” she said in a statement. “As Christians, we are called by faith to feed the hungry and welcome the stranger. Providing hospitality to all who enter St. Timothy’s church in search of help is indispensable. in our beliefs.”
