Did you know that in the state of CA, Santa Monica City, it is illegal to distribute food to the homeless on a public street or sidewalk without a permit (Carrillo, 2014).

Did you know that in the state of CA, Santa Monica City, it is illegal to distribute food to the homeless on a public street or sidewalk without a permit (Carrillo, 2014). People who violate the ordinance can be fined up to $1,000 or spend six months in jail

As an HSP, how would one go about lobbying too change this law  If the law is not able to be change, what are some ways that we, as professionals, can legally get around this law and still help the homeless and poor receive food and supplies

Carrillo, S (2014). Feeding of homeless restricted. Pepperdine University Graphic. Retrieved from http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/news/2002/2002-10-31-homeless.htm

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Introduction 

If you don’t have a place to live, getting enough to eat clearly may be a struggle. And since homelessness in the U.S. isn’t going away and is even rising in some cities, more charitable groups and individuals have been stepping up the past few years to share food with these vulnerable folks in their communities. But just as more people reach out to help, cities are biting back at those hands feeding the homeless. According to a report released Monday by the National Coalition for the Homeless, 21 cities have passed measures aimed at restricting the people who feed the homeless since January 2013. In that same time, similar legislation was introduced in more than 10 cities. Combined, these measures represent a 47 percent increase in the number of cities that have passed or introduced legislation to restrict food sharing since the coalition last counted in 2010……