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Downtown Church Blocks Front Door During Weekly Homeless Giving Event
On Wednesday, the front door of the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church of Santa Cruz was blocked off during their weekly coffee giveaway for the homeless, according to one churchgoer. The measure was taken after Rev. Fr. Milutin Janjic told parishioners that a man came to the church with a larger pet rat on his shoulder, and was kissing it. "I know father went through the Bosnian War. He isn't easily rattled," Prophet Elias parishioner Anne Solso said in a statement on Facebook. Despite the father's bravery during the war, the church's entrance was blocked.
"We give out coffee and a few items every Wednesday morning," Solso said. "The church is open to the public at that time."
"Well, our table is now across the front door. People can still access, just NO RATS!" she explained.
Solso made these comments in a new online anti-homeless hate group called "Santa Cruz Looks Like SHIT!!" The group was founded earlier this week on Facebook by former Santa Cruz City Council candidate Ashley Scontriano and "John Green", an anonymous user account.
Due to its proximity to the core of downtown Santa Cruz, the leaders of the Prophet Elias Church have struggled with their relationship with homeless people over the last few years. The church was at one point more tolerant of the homeless individuals sleeping on its front steps at night, but eventually no trespassing signs were posted in its front window, and police were authorized to clear its steps of sleepers at night.
Prophet Elias then took a political stance against the homeless.
On March 8, 2016, Sophie Polychronakis, the vice-president of the Prophet Elias parish council, spoke before the Santa Cruz City Council in favor of keeping the city's camping ordinance in place, which faced possible repeal by the council that evening. Polychronakis explained that changes to the ordinance wouldn't affect the church because it was a private entity, and police could be called to have people removed from sleeping out front. Polychronakis, however, made a strong political statement when she told the city council that repealing the sleeping ban, "may even create even bigger problems."
Since that time, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that the act of sleeping outdoors cannot be criminalized when homeless people have no other choices. The ruling has changed the entire landscape of homelessness in the nine western states it impacts.
Photo credit: Indybay
Article sources:
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/03/12/18783934.php
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/02/25/18783321.php
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/11/21/santa-cruz-church-gives-thanks-with-homeless/
"Well, our table is now across the front door. People can still access, just NO RATS!" she explained.
Solso made these comments in a new online anti-homeless hate group called "Santa Cruz Looks Like SHIT!!" The group was founded earlier this week on Facebook by former Santa Cruz City Council candidate Ashley Scontriano and "John Green", an anonymous user account.
Due to its proximity to the core of downtown Santa Cruz, the leaders of the Prophet Elias Church have struggled with their relationship with homeless people over the last few years. The church was at one point more tolerant of the homeless individuals sleeping on its front steps at night, but eventually no trespassing signs were posted in its front window, and police were authorized to clear its steps of sleepers at night.
Prophet Elias then took a political stance against the homeless.
On March 8, 2016, Sophie Polychronakis, the vice-president of the Prophet Elias parish council, spoke before the Santa Cruz City Council in favor of keeping the city's camping ordinance in place, which faced possible repeal by the council that evening. Polychronakis explained that changes to the ordinance wouldn't affect the church because it was a private entity, and police could be called to have people removed from sleeping out front. Polychronakis, however, made a strong political statement when she told the city council that repealing the sleeping ban, "may even create even bigger problems."
Since that time, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that the act of sleeping outdoors cannot be criminalized when homeless people have no other choices. The ruling has changed the entire landscape of homelessness in the nine western states it impacts.
Photo credit: Indybay
Article sources:
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/03/12/18783934.php
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/02/25/18783321.php
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/11/21/santa-cruz-church-gives-thanks-with-homeless/
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