HOPEWELL, Va. -- According to the Bible, Jesus encouraged his followers to feed the hungry. City leaders in Hopewell agree with that message, they just want churches in the city to do it somewhere else.
Beacon Hill Church Senior Pastor Michael Moore received a letter from the city to "cease all activities on city property" near the Beacon [Theatre] parking lot.
Moore's non-denominational church has used the theatre as its meeting place for nearly a decade. Almost from day one, the church has used the parking lot to hand out food to help those in need.
"This parking lot serves about 250 people on an average Friday," Moore said. "What we are seeing is a rarity. Community coming together, different churches and organizations, to work together to make a community stronger. That’s what we should be doing."
But there is a problem in the eyes of some city leaders. It's not the who, or the what, or the when. It's the where.
"We don’t have a problem at all with feeding the homeless or those that have food insecurities," Hopewell City Councilmember Rita Joyner said. "We are just asking that they move a couple of blocks over."
Jones said the parking lot near the highly-traveled Route 10 is "our city’s front yard" and the gatherings cause not only traffic concerns but also expose the city to liabilities since it happens on city property.
"We are simply asking that the entities look at other areas adjacent to the population they wish to feed but are not located on city property," Jones said. "We’re trying to do it in the best interest of what is the city’s best interest and best interest of the population we’re trying to help."
Alternate spots up for discussion include a parking lot used by Social Services and another spot where the city’s shelter is located.
The agenda for Tuesday’s Hopewell City Council meeting lists the item as “food distribution city location” being brought by the City Manager.
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