UPDATED - MAYOR’S OFFICE RESPONSE IN COMMENTS SECTION. AND PLEASE READ MY LATEST POST, A CONVERSATION WITH DICK COPELAND HERE.
Mayor Rybak and the Minneapolis City Council want to oust the “Mother Teresa” of the Midwest.
The story hit the news wires last week; the City of Minneapolis is citing Mary Jo Copeland’s Caring and Sharing Hands organization, which feeds and houses countless of Minneapolis’ burgeoning poor population, for what the city describes as the facility’s lack of a security plan.
This grassroots organization began many years ago in the heart of Downtown Minneapolis, operating out of a little store front. Back then the city wanted her out because they didn’t want visitors to the new Target Center to see the poor and homeless lined up to receive food, clothing, shelter, and love, from the north-suburban Minneapolis housewife - who, together with her husband, sacrificed their personal lives, and spent their own money to care for the poor - one on one. At the time, it seemed Murderapolis had little concern for the fact our tawdry city had the national reputation of more murders per capita than NYC - oh, and that murder rate is growing once again BTW.
I wonder who pads the politcian’s back pockets in these matters?
It is all about sports arenas and big salaries and the like - but only for a few. The city claims to be working on a security plan for the outreach center. That said, what I believe they are really working on is quite simply a plan to get rid of Sharing and Caring Hands again - get the Catholic lady away from the sports stadium. What an eyesore, huh? To have a center for poor people across from a prosperous, commercial ball park; a scandal the affluent suburbanites coming to town might see. Today I received the following email from a friend who spoke on the phone with the Mayor’s representative:
The city is maintaining that because of the lack of a security plan, she is out of compliance with her business license. They maintain that it has nothing to do with the location near the new Twins ballpark. I find that last item hard to believe. The location has been controversial since day one because of its nearness to downtown and particularly because of its nearness to the incinerator.
I noted that probably every business in Minneapolis is probably out of compliance with one or more items required by their business license. Erica agreed with that.
She was concerned about mothers with small children being exposed to drug deals. I would imagine that those mothers with small children are exposed to a lot more than that.” - email.
“All of the sudden the city’s concerned we’re not doing this right.” - Mary Jo’s husband, Dick commenting on how all the problems came to light last year: “He said that city pressure stepped up in spring 2007, just before ballpark construction began.” - Source.
The city contends concern that mothers and small children are being exposed to drug deals at the center? That’s a farce. Downtown Minneapolis crawls with drug traffickers, while most of the first tier neighborhoods around downtown are just as infested - if not more so. South and north Minneapolis are drug and crime infested neighborhoods - yet the city is focusing upon an emergency care facility which happens to be across from the new baseball stadium - which few wanted in the first place. It is a travesty.
Mary Jo Copeland’s work has even been recognized by the President of the United States, as well as the Vatican. I urge all of my readers - everywhere - to protest this action by the greedy elite who govern the City of Minneapolis. Ray from Stella Borealis published the contacts in the following post I reprinted below for your convenience:
Sharing & Caring Hands needs your support.
The City of Minneapolis has threatened to remove Mary Jo Copeland’s restaurant license and in turn her ability to serve meals to thousands of the poor and hungry. This move has been raised because of alleged security concerns, and comes on the heels of the new baseball park being built across the street from the facility.
Those who would suffer from this are the poor, the disabled, the elderly, families with children, and people suffering from mental illness who come for a warm meal.
There is a City Council meeting on April 25th and we need thousands of people to call the Mayor’s office and tell lhim you support Mary Jo’s work and you oppose any move to remove Mary Jo’s restaurant license. Please call today or before April 25th.
Contacts:
Contact Mayor R.T. Rybak’s (”R” is for Raymond, I just learned) policy aide, Erica Prosser at 612-673-2133 or email her at erica.prosser@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
A march is being coordinated by the community to protest this move. Tentative time for the march is Thursday, April 17, at 12:30 p.m. Call 612-338-4640 to confirm the time.
[Photo: Mary Jo (center) at her facility. The facility is modern, state of the art, thanks to private and corporate donations. The campus surrounding the contemporary buildings of her ministry are clean and well maintained by volunteers. It is by no means an eyesore to the city.]
Links:
Minneapolis Star and Tribune story: “Homers vs. Homeless”
WCCO news story.
