Arnold Abbott, the retiree who feeds the homeless every Wednesday night on the beach, has had his last showdown with the city.
Ministers from Christ Church United Methodist, where Abbott cooks hot meals for the homeless, told him Wednesday that he'll have to move the dinner he has served every week for seven years on the beach into the church or he won't be allowed to use the kitchen.
Abbott agreed to go along with the change.
"Our purpose is to feed the homeless people. We don't like to create controversy," said Fred Scarborough, a lay pastor for the church, and director at Shepherd's Way, which provides housing for the homeless. "He hates this change. He's big about it. His heart's in the right place."
Abbott has been feeding the homeless on the beach since 1991, although it is illegal to provide an "open air" social service on the beach. However, the city did not try to enforce the law until the new Homeless Assistance Center opened and Tent City closed. The city sent Abbott several letters telling him to stop feeding people on the beach and threatened him with arrest.
Abbott refused to stop, saying he and his corps of volunteers had a right to feed the homeless so they could eat on the beach like anyone else.
Tired of the fighting, Scarborough said, church vans would pick up homeless people at the beach and bring them to the church. "We aren't in for breaking the law," he said. "The church is committed to doing this until another site can be worked out. We want to defuse this situation and feed homeless people. Not only will we feed them, but we'll be offering clothing, housing and counselore, pastors. This is not just going to be a feeding."