Food Not Bombs Releases Statement on Monroe Park

The local Food Not Bombs chapter just sent this via email:

The following statement is just the first step in a campaign of resistance being coordinated by Richmond Food Not Bombs and others to resist the criminalization of homelessness and the further gentrification of an area of Richmond that is already advancing rapidly down that path. For more information about the campaign, or to get involved, email rvafoodnotbombs@gmail.com
Richmond Food Not Bombs has been sharing food in Monroe Park for over sixteen years now. We have developed many connections and friendships over the course of our existence, helped provide healthy food to many individuals who may not have had access to it otherwise, and become a staple of social activity for many people’s Sunday afternoons.

The proposed renovations to Monroe Park are an attack , a judgement on who the park should and shouldn’t be for. It is an attack on the homeless, the “homeless-appearing” (whatever that means – it’s in the Monroe Park Advisory Council’s renovation plans), and groups and individuals who don’t judge people by their social status or whether they have conventional means of acquiring shelter.

We will not stand for it.

The only change that the park really needs is for the city to do its job when it comes do doing maintenance on the bathrooms, as they are functional but one of the water pipes to the sinks has corroded away. Other improvements, such as installing permanent chess tables, or a playground area for kids would be nice, but NOT at the cost of driving out the folks who currently congregate in the park, shutting the entire park down for 18 months, or privatizing the security of the park.

Food Not Bombs will resist all attempts to shut the entire park down for any amount of time. This is a congregating place for students, families, homeless individuals, activists, folks who like to play frisbee, and various other people who currently enjoy the dynamic of the park. The ONLY people currently not represented in the day-to-day activity of the park are affluent white folks, and the proposed renovations are CLEARLY designed with ONLY them in mind.

To the end of maintaining the park as a place for people from ALL walks of life to gather, enjoy themselves, share meals, resources, and conversation we have a few very specific demands:

1) We require that a minimum of two acres be kept open and un-fenced at all times during construction. We understand the nature of construction and are ok with it not being the SAME two acres at all times, but they must be contiguous and accessible to ALL people.

2) During the construction, at any time that the bathroom facilities are not accessible/functional we require at least 4 portable toilets and two hand washing stations, as well as a source of drinking water, to be accessible to the public.

3) We require open, clear, and direct communication from the City Council, the Monroe Park Advisory Council, and any other companies, groups or organizations involved in the renovation efforts. This is to include publicly posted signs IN the park regarding renovation proposals, active dissemination of any new developments in construction, and active participation in dialogue with the current users of the park.

4) There will be no regulations at any time restricting the distribution of free food, clothing, or other resources.

5) IF a private security company is hired to do security for the park, their protocols and handbooks will be available for free on request from any member of the public, and there will be a predetermined and transparent accountability process for any instances of security officers abusing their powers or violating individuals’ rights.

We feel that these are reasonable requests, and we will NOT compromise on any of them. Public parks are for the people who use them, not “Advisory Councils” or universities who would like to see them change to better suit their vision of gentrification.
We will not tolerate further attacks on those already most oppressed by the oppressive institutions of capitalism that are behind the push to “renovate” Monroe Park, and we WILL fight back against them.

-Because food is a right, not a privilege.
Food Not Bombs

21 thoughts on “Food Not Bombs Releases Statement on Monroe Park

  1. so FnBombs currently uses the Park for 2 hours a week on Sunday afternoons. Revising construction documents and adjusting liability costs for this comprehensive and very much needed historically sensitive renovation of Monroe Park would shackle the City’s taxpayers with millions of dollars and many months of additional expenses. There are clear alternatives for their feeding program other than Monroe Park during the construction process. Whose being unreasonable here?

  2. btw- Monroe Park Advisory Council has met once a month for almost 8 years with every meeting advertised and open to the Public. FNB has never attended a meeting.
    When FNB recently held a meeting of food providers in the park, I was emailed notice and I asked to attend but was told it was JUST for FNB and other feeding groups. As an MPAC member, I would have been happy to have been there to listen to any legitimate concerns.
    Whose not being transparent here and why?

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  4. I can’t comment on everything you just said, but that just isn’t true that FNB members have never attended an MPAC meeting. I know of at least 2 that used to attend in the past, but felt concerns were not being listened to and that legitimate work to talk to people who would be effected was not being done. Don’t worry, we plan on attending once again. Also, the reason the meeting for feeding programs was just that. A meeting for feeding programs. We have never all sat down together to even meet face to face, so including people from other groups just wasn’t appropriate at the time. Don’t worry, you will be notified of more meetings. And we are at the park every Sunday if you want to come say hi.

  5. Sorry, Nathan- it is that simple. No one is excluding anyone in the plans. I missed maybe 3 meetings in 8 years due to touring conflicts and never saw anyone from FNB there. Ever. No speaking up, no letters of concern. The charette was extremely well publicized and well attended and I guarantee you no FNB members were in attendance.
    Read the “demands” above. These are not the sensible thoughts of someone looking toward the best interest of the park for everyone. These are rantings of the privileged, afraid of being inconvenienced for the good of ALL park users.
    It took almost 8 years of hard work to get to where we are today on the Park. Embrace it. There are much better times ahead for everyone.

  6. Thanks for your great work Todd, MPAC and everyone who helped bring this to fruition. I, Myself, the Friends of Monroe Park and many others are very excited about this and what it can do for Richmond. Nothing worth achieving is ever easy. The end result, I think, will be something we can all be proud of.

  7. I’m excited about having a renovated park, but this IS about much more than 2 hours a week. Food Not Bombs was not the first, and it is certainly not the only program designed to help Richmond’s homeless and working poor, and people who have nowhere else to go certainly have more than a 2-hour-per-week investment in this.

    The only “demand” I’m interested in is that a public park that serves a large cross-section of Richmond communities not be completely closed down, which seems like common sense. I haven’t heard any explanation about why renovation costs will increase if partitioning takes place, though I’d love to engage in that discussion and plan on contacting 3 North about it directly.

  8. I hope communications can be repaired and something can be worked out.

    Of course, I am glad to see the park renovated. Todd deserves huge praise for his volunteer work. I know there was a lot of things happening behind the scenes where Todd made a crucial difference for the public’s benefit.

    At the same time, I will defend Food Not Bomb’s right to serve food in the park.

  9. Has FNB considered Kanawha Plaza at 8th & Canal St. as a place to have their weekly events? It’s probably less than a mile from Monroe Park and centrally located. Plus it is not near the city jail that was mentioned in the youtube video. Additionally, many homeless people hang out there already.

  10. I know a couple of people that do receive food from the Monroe park location. One takes a bus, and the other walks or gets a ride. Moving it to 8th and Canal would be much harder to get to as it is not near a bus stop and there is no parking.

  11. There is definitely bus service to 8th & Canal. There are at least half a dozen bus stops within 2 blocks of Kanawha plaza. 8th St. is in fact a hub of the GRTC system and one of the easiest locations in the city to get to.

  12. Charles Samuels will host a dialogue on services for the homeless in Monroe Park on November 4, 2010 from 5-7 at the Carillon next to Dogwood Dell. If you have an opinion or issue regarding feeding programs in the Park, this is the venue to discuss them and hopefully reach consensus. Please make arrangements to attend.

  13. October 11, 2010

    Dear Friend:

    Every day, more than a thousand people in our community experience homelessness. This number includes adults wrestling with addiction and mental health concerns, families with children coping with a job loss, and many others facing a wide array of barriers that impact their ability to get and maintain safe and stable housing. Many times, our faith and community partners are among the first places people reach out to when they are in crisis. We know that this is a need that many of you have been filling for years. Whether it is with a warm meal or dedicated volunteers, Richmond’s faith and community partners have been instrumental in serving the needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

    Monroe Park has served as a de facto central location for those seeking to assist our community’s homeless. As the city begins plans to renovate this historic park, I believe it is important to bring together both those needing services and our faith and community partners to discuss ways that we can continue assisting our community’s most vulnerable citizens. I would like your help and leadership to develop a plan to provide continued support for those who depend on the services offered at Monroe Park.

    To make certain that we maintain our community’s response to the needs of those seeking assistance, I have invited Homeward, our community’s planning and coordinating agency for homeless services, to partner with my office to facilitate a community conversation about services offered at Monroe Park. The agenda will include an information-sharing session and a discussion of potential strategies for partnership.

    We invite you to participate in this community conversation that will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2010 from 5 until 7 p.m. in the auditorium of The Richmond Carillon, 1300 Blanton Avenue at Dogwood Dell. My hope is that it will foster mutual education and identify points of collaboration. I ask for your help so that we, together, can build a plan to truly help people who are homeless and depend on services provided at Monroe Park. We need your leadership, input, support and assistance to shape this plan and these services.

    Please register by emailing your name and contact information to Jan Girardi at Jan.Girardi@richmondgov.com by Monday, November 1, 2010. You may also register by phone, by calling 804-646-6532.

    We hope you join us for this important discussion, and we appreciate the work you do to improve the lives of our neighbors.

    Sincerely,

    Charles R. Samuels
    Councilman
    North Central 2nd District

    Richmond Community Conversation on Monroe Park
    Registration Form

    Name:

    Agency:

    Email Address:

    Mailing Address:

    Phone Number:

    Jan Girardi, 2nd District Liaison
    Councilman Charles Samuels
    900 E. Broad Street, Ste. 302
    Richmond, VA 23219
    804-646-6532

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  16. Stop feeding the lazy and they will soon leave and crime will go down and the part will be safe. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

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