Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Concern GRows over plans for Babylon Food Pantry

I just don't understand this mentality! Concerns over increased traffic?! It's 1x a week!

And strangers? Technically- anyone can come from anywhere to attend the church services, so how is this different?


Also- how about all the bar/restaurant patrons on the weekends? Talk about TRaffic and strangers!


I'm not really sure why they even need the residents' approval.

Message edited 2/12/2015 3:30:12 PM.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Jeez. It know its a little annoying to drive down Main st in Babylon at certain times, but its not like its Times Square.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

People are azzholes.

They mentioned they expect 30 - 50 ppl. Whoa what a stampede.

Message edited 2/12/2015 3:40:33 PM.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

People are such selfish f@cks!
It's ridiculous!
Me, me, me!

This world is going to hell in a hand basket!

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Saw this on Newday.com the other night. Some of the residents they quoted in the article really made themselves look as bad as I am sure they are. LI NIMBYism roars its ugly head once again.

ETA: LINK

Message edited 2/12/2015 3:49:34 PM.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

I wonder if any of these residents are also churchgoers. If so...how Christian of them.

Message edited 2/12/2015 3:57:25 PM.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

They should be ashamed. Its one night a week. Hope they never fall on hard times. Classic LI nimby attitude

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

what is this world coming to?

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Never ceases to amaze me how disgusting some people can be..

Up to 50 ppl once a week? Seriously folks, noone throw a party in one of the restaurants there... cause then there will be 50 strangers in the community of Babylon and all hell will break loose...

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

But for the Grace of God Go I....

Hope these people never end up hungry

Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

It really is sickening. I bet most of the people opposing this would call themselves good Christians (or any other religion). If you are fighting against a food pantry to help those who really need it, you are not a good (any religion)! It's not like there is going to be a crazy stampede of people day in and day out. Those opposing this really need to get over themselves.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Typical holier-than-thou attitude that is not so uncommon here. They may say it's about traffic, but all I'm hearing is: "Get those undesirables out of here, they're driving down our property values".

30-50 people couldn't possibly cause a traffic ruckus. I also highly doubt senior citizens on a fixed income are going to be parading through the neighborhood vandalizing properties.

Disgusted. Add this one to the first world problems thread: "Ugh! Some nasty homeless people think they can just come into my neighborhood looking for a free meal. The nerve!"

Message edited 2/12/2015 5:33:55 PM.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Posted by MC09

Typical holier-than-thou attitude that is not so uncommon here. They may say it's about traffic, but all I'm hearing is: "Get those undesirables out of here, they're driving down our property values".

30-50 people couldn't possibly cause a traffic ruckus. I also highly doubt senior citizens on a fixed income are going to be parading through the neighborhood vandalizing properties.

Disgusted. Add this one to the first world problems thread: "Ugh! Some nasty homeless people think they can just come into my neighborhood looking for a free meal. The nerve!"

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Absolutely disgusting! If people could really see the faces of hungry people. It's not always homeless drug addicts. It's families and working people. It's your neighbor & kids classmates. I really hope it goes through.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

There was a story on News12 this morning about this. Said the majority of the attendees would be senior citizens. It's such a shame.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Posted by BaseballWidow

Posted by MC09

Typical holier-than-thou attitude that is not so uncommon here. They may say it's about traffic, but all I'm hearing is: "Get those undesirables out of here, they're driving down our property values".

30-50 people couldn't possibly cause a traffic ruckus. I also highly doubt senior citizens on a fixed income are going to be parading through the neighborhood vandalizing properties.

Disgusted. Add this one to the first world problems thread: "Ugh! Some nasty homeless people think they can just come into my neighborhood looking for a free meal. The nerve!"

If you can read the Newsday article I posted above, please do. If I wasn't so disgusted by them I almost could have been embarrassed for them.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Here's the Newsday article

More than 80 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a weekly food program that would be housed in the basement of a Babylon Village church nestled in a residential neighborhood near Main Street.

They say the program, which church leaders estimate would feed 30 to 50 people and is to come before the village's Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday, would add traffic and an influx of strangers to an area that already contends with spillover from trendy downtown restaurants.

"I'm all in favor of churches helping people in need," said Valerie Basile, 37, a stay-at-home mother of three who lives on South Carll Avenue, a block with upscale homes and the village library. Christ Episcopal Church is on nearby Prospect Street. But Basile said that the Nourish Babylon food program would "bring people that don't live here flooding into the neighborhood." She said the church already hosts several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings most weeks, which she said also boosts traffic.

As her neighbor Colleen Castelluccio put it: "Their mission is a beautiful mission, but not here in a residential neighborhood with children."

Those reservations have collided with the views of some in the church who say that outreach -- especially sharing meals -- is critical.

"The Eucharist is central for our worship," said Kevin Cruze, 53, a senior warden, or lay volunteer with the church. "That's what we do; we break bread."

Cruze said that concerns that guests would be bused in from other communities or would leave beer cans and hypodermic needles on lawns are unfounded.

"Senior citizens, widows and widowers, people on a very fixed income" are those likely to come for meals, he said.

Median household income in Babylon Village is close to $97,000, outpacing the rest of Babylon Town by almost 20 percent. In 2013, the census estimated that between 3.3 and 7.1 percent of village residents lived in poverty.


Other churches in the village already run food programs three nights a week. Cruze said it would be hard for them to do more, though Castelluccio and Basile, who is not related to village trustee Deborah Basile, argue that expansion is a better option than starting a new operation in their neighborhood.

Making that argument to someone who doesn't live on the block can be difficult, Basile acknowledged.

"It's hard to talk about it and not sound like you're a horrible person," she said. "We don't not want to help people."

But others in the neighborhood support the church's efforts. Carrie Moran, 37, a psychiatric nurse who has volunteered at other soup kitchens, said the guests she served were more like her and her neighbors than some might admit.


"They were normal parents trying to make ends meet to feed their kids," Moran said.


David Bishop, a former Suffolk County legislator and Babylon Town councilman who lives on the block, said the church should be allowed to move forward with its plans.

"I know the people running the kitchen," he said. "I trust them, and I think we should give it a chance."

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Quote: "As her neighbor Colleen Castelluccio put it: "Their mission is a beautiful mission, but not here in a residential neighborhood with children."




Is this one serious? GOD FORBID children should be forced to see *GULP*... people down on their luck!??!!???!!

Oh the humanity

I am sick to my stomach over this. I am embarrassed to be a Long Islander.

What a BEAUTIFUL teachable moment for those with children who live nearby. How about VOLUNTEERING to help rather than being a judgemental witch?

Ugh.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

Posted by MrsGmomof3

Quote: "As her neighbor Colleen Castelluccio put it: "Their mission is a beautiful mission, but not here in a residential neighborhood with children."




Is this one serious? GOD FORBID children should be forced to see *GULP*... people down on their luck!??!!???!!

Oh the humanity

I am sick to my stomach over this. I am embarrassed to be a Long Islander.

What a BEAUTIFUL teachable moment for those with children who live nearby. How about VOLUNTEERING to help rather than being a judgemental witch?

Ugh.

Re: Residents oppose Church's plans to feed the homeless

This story has really bothered me! I just can't understand how people can feel this way about a church trying to feed the hungry!

These people should be lining up to HELP, not protest. What a great opportunity to make the lives of everyone in the community richer, and instead these assholes are setting an awful example for their children by trying to oppose this.

Where is people's humanity?