Apopka group told to stop feeding homeless people at park

APOPKA, Fla. — Kelly Eichner opened the back door of her car to reveal a small mountain of pastries, protein bars and other goods she doles out to the homeless population in the Apopka area.

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Eichner wasn’t alone. A fellow volunteer revealed boxes of sanitary and first aid equipment in their hatchback. A third brought packs of energy drinks.

Standing nearby, Sherlean Tillman called the volunteers a lifeline.

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“We need to eat,” she said. “We’re homeless, and we’re not bad people.”

However, it isn’t the individual handouts that have Hope of Apopka in the crosshairs of Orange County staff.

Every Sunday afternoon, the volunteers set up tables and enough food to feed more than 100 people outside Apopka Station.

The group has been told this Sunday will be their final dinner for now.

“This lady said that we need to have a license, insurance, permits,” Eichner said. “Everything was fine until this woman decided she didn’t want the homeless people fed out here.”

“This woman,” is Kelley McCormack, a well-known activist in the city. McCormack said she didn’t have a problem with the dinners until she went to the park one day and couldn’t find anywhere to sit to watch her kids play on the playground.

McCormack said the lack of paperwork equally bothered her, explaining that any incidents – like a fire – would fall back on taxpayers instead of insurance.

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McCormack said the lack of paperwork equally bothered her, explaining that any incidents – like a fire – would fall back on taxpayers instead of insurance.

“Just because you’re doing a good deed for the community or a good deed for the homeless does not mean that you’re exempt from having proper paperwork or credentials,” she said.

Orange County owns the park and leases it to the City of Apopka. County staff said once they became aware of the violation, they had to enforce the rules.

They allowed a final Sunday meal to give Hope of Apopka a chance to tell their clients the meals would be discontinued for now.

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“The County is now in communication with the organization to discuss county processes for continuing their initiatives within public parks,” a spokeswoman emailed. “Every year Orange County partners with more than 200 local nonprofit organizations to combat homelessness and other social concerns.”

Eichner said she would investigate what paperwork would be needed and explore other nearby sites that were less restrictive.

She had the support of her network of volunteers and people like Tillman, who said she worried about what would happen if the area’s homeless became desperate without Hope of Apopka’s help.

“We’re going to go in the store and steal stuff to survive?” she asked. “To me, it’s like you’re forcing us to become criminals. You’re forcing us to do things that we don’t want to do. But how are we going to live?”

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