Council: Two days is enough for Cafe of Life

No soup for you.

The Cafe of Life, a local humanitarian organization that dispenses food, clothing and some health services to local low-income and homeless residents, was again denied by the Bonita Springs City Council to increase the group’s use of Community Hall to four days from two. The group was most recently told no in May 2005.

Councilmen who denied the proposal in the 4-3 vote argued that the Cafe of Life clientele cause problems in the downtown redevelopment area, and said the building isn’t meant to be a permanent location for any group — no matter its intentions.

City Manager Gary Price denied the request in a letter dated June 2, but the organization appealed the decision, bringing the issue before the council Wednesday.

“Some of (the denial) is specific to Cafe of Life and some of it is specific to what my understanding is the purpose of that facility,” Price said in defense of his denial. “Frankly if anyone came in and asked for five-day-a-week use, two hours a day, I would deny them. I don’t think that facility should be tied up for one object’s usage.”

Disappointed volunteers and board members said the decision is ridiculous because the building isn’t scheduled for any other activities for the time they are requesting, said Margery Winsett, operations committee chairwoman for the Cafe of Life.

Should another group need the facilities, the Cafe of Life offered to “move on a moment’s notice,” she said.

David Albers/Special to the Daily News

Salvation Army case worker Joanne Herrada talks with Jesoes Alexander, left, during lunch at the Cafe of Life gathering Wednesday in the community center in Bonita Springs. The organization is searching for a new location to provide its meals and services. The community center is only available to the organization two days a week.

Lee Coleman, a volunteer with Cafe of Life for more than two years, called the council’s decision “shameful” and said she was embarrassed that the city has acted so coldly to people in need.

“Would you like to be there on a rainy day with mother and children and it’s raining buckets?” Coleman, 78, said. “I’m standing there and there’s this building and it’s empty! It makes me see red.”

Councilman Alex Grantt, who voted against the denial, echoed Coleman’s laments, saying the city supports too few humanitarian efforts. Council members Martha Simons and Richard Ferreira also voted against the denial.

The organization is looking for a permanent location outside of historic downtown, and were asking for use of the building only through the summer. It has been approved to use Community Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays until Labor Day. The request would have extended their days in the building to Tuesdays and Fridays.

Though accusations were made that the group’s weekday lunches attract drunks and vagrants who deter other residents, the group denied that their clientele live up to stereotypes.

“If a client is intoxicated he or she is asked to leave,” Winsett said to the council.

Trash is cleaned up by the volunteers and the group offered to stop handing out take-out meals if they were creating litter. Cafe of Life board member Marietta Bala denied that people loiter after the food service stops, but Price argued — with the agreement of some councilmen — that the soup kitchen encourages the homeless to hang around.

“We would like to be in another place, too,” Bala said. “If we could be inside the Community Center, we would be out of the park.”

Again, not an option.