I was reading an article online from Florida news about limiting the feeding of homeless. I sat stunned to stupidity as I read this article, which I will post below my article so that you may read it for yourselves.

As many people have done, they work at restaurants, myself have worked at a Chinese Food Restaurant. Here twice a day they had a buffet, and at the end of that buffet the food got put into the garbage. Tossed out, wasted food, and more people starving and hungry that day.

I admit that this bothering me after three months was well to say the least was huge. There are hundreds of millions of restaurants that throw out the buffet at the end of the night. Millions of pounds of food, that does go to waste every day because no one thinks that maybe their garbage waste food, would still be good for someone else to eat.

There are people that have given up because no one would help them. There are people that kill themselves because no one will help or even listen to them. People are homeless for so many reasons that I could not list them all here, but I ask how many have been there and crawled back into this world we laughingly call society.

When I worked at this restaurant, there were many people that could have been fed with the leftovers. Probably 10-20 homeless people could have been fed. Yes Chinese food is not the best food in the world, and at least something in their bellies would have been a start.

How many companies other then restaurants throw out their leftovers, expired food from stores, that if ate that day would be fine? How many people are left hungry and starving and resort to violence and crime to feed them self? How many people would kill someone or commit a crime so they could have a roof over their head and three meals a day? How many will go to the level of extreme to keep themselves alive?

There are many that do just that, which are in jail, because they could not get their life back together. They commit a crime just to have food.

Many people that read this would think that I am off my tree with what I am saying, hence my only objective in what I write is to make people think, and make people ask questions of why do we not do anything to help?

I bet that if you asked many people in this world why they ended up homeless, they might answer bills, drugs, stress, they could not take it anymore, and so many more answers. I would bet, that the first two I mentioned; will be the top two, told to you by these people.

Many people are content to sit in their car, listening to music or talk radio, and as they come to that corner, look down on that person begging for money for food, because they assume to think they are buying drugs. Yes, that is always a possibility. But just tossing some spare change or your garbage out the window is degrading. How would you feel if the tables were turned, and you were that person sitting there begging for food?

You may be sitting here reading this, smugly perhaps, saying this would never happen to me. I am too good, and I have a great job, and a home and a family, and I go to church every weekend. How dare one be so smug, and sit in judgment of others? I will, and I hardly ever quote the bible, “Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

I would never assume that I am better then that man or woman that is homeless, for one day in my judgment, I could be that person. The tables of life could turn, in just and righteous judgment of my life, and turn the tables.

Those that fall down should be helped back up. I have been there, I have fallen down, and when I realized that I did not want to fall any farther, I asked for help, and I got it.

You see, sometimes you have to ask for help as well; otherwise it will not be appreciated later. There are those that feel that no one will help them and give up. There are those that ask, and no one listens.

There are those that are homeless and hungry, in our country, whichever country you are in, there are homeless. And everyday, there are more of them for one reason or another, and many of them will go to sleep tonight because they can not afford to get food, or there is not enough of it available.

So if you are reading this and are in a position where you help feed the homeless, start asking around at the local restaurants that do buffets, and ask what happens with the food at the end of that buffet. What I have outlined above is what you will find, that the food is summarily tossed into the garbage at the end of that buffet. Many times over you will find the same thing, food which could go to feeding the homeless people in this country.

Everyone wonders why the landfills are getting bigger, here is just one reason.

Change in this world starts with you and me. I give the message of hope, and my hope is that people that are reading this will act. A true humanitarian will act on what I am saying here, and look into this information, and find that I reveal the truth. Choice to act starts with you.

Proposed Plan Would Limit Orlando Homeless Feedings

POSTED: 1:46 pm EDT June 19, 2006

UPDATED: 2:20 pm EDT June 20, 2006

The Orlando City Council discussed a controversial plan to limit who can feed the homeless and how often, according to a Local 6 News report.

Each week, several groups travel to Lake Eola in Orlando to provide food for the homeless. However, the feeding sessions have some local businesses and residents concerned that they can lead to a spike in crime.

City Commissioner Patty Sheehan proposed the bill.

Sheehan said the issue has become one-sided against her and she simply has the interest of all parties at heart, Local 6 reporter Chris Trenkmann said.

“City Commissioner Patty Sheehan has become known as the commissioner for the dogs because she helped pass a state law allowing dogs to eat at restaurants outdoors,” Local 6 reporter Chris Trenkmann said. “But, now she is being criticized for not allowing the homeless to eat.”

“I mean I just really feel like I have not been treated very fairly on this,” Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said. “I want to help people, but proper place, proper time. And if we are willing to provide a location and this group doesn’t want to use it because it is not pretty enough — huh.”

Sheehan has proposed moving the feedings to Lake Eola to Silvia Street. But, businesses in the area are not happy about the idea, Trenkmann said.

A group of supporters for the homeless gathered in downtown Orlando Monday who say they have a right to have the feedings at Lake Eola.