Eugene feeding group faces police warning over unauthorized meals in city park

A group that serves meals in a Eugene city park says police have threatened to cite or arrest its volunteers.

Neighbors Feeding Neighbors (NFN), formerly known as the Breakfast Brigade, hands out food four days a week from the sidewalk of Washington Jefferson Park.

The nonprofit has been serving there without permission since September, when the city of Eugene pulled its event permit, citing parking and insurance violations. NFN later appealed that decision, but was rejected.

NFN Board Member Lisa Levsen said on Thursday, officers from the Eugene Police Department approached volunteers at the site. She said they asked for names and IDs, and verbally warned the group that they needed to stop serving there.

In an email to KLCC, EPD spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin said NFN received a “regular notification” that its behavior could lead to citation or arrest.

“They have refused to work with the city for alternative locations, lost their appeal in court for the permit, are blocking the sidewalk, and are violating park rules,” wrote McLaughlin. “All people who wish to hold a gathering or event in the park must first obtain a permit for the event.”

Levsen said when the police cars arrived, several of the people receiving meals there dispersed, leaving some of the day’s food uneaten. She said having a police presence there can scare some attendees, who may have outstanding tickets from previous sweeps.

However, Levsen said volunteers don’t plan to stop serving, despite the warnings from police. With White Bird Clinic set to close its Front Rooms department this month, she said the need for these meal services is only going to increase.

“It is freezing out here, and these people have no food, and the city is trying to shut us down,” said Levsen. “So we’ll go back to the City Council, and we will write every single representative that we know, and we will protest, and if they want to take us to jail, they can take us to jail.”

Related: Breakfast Brigade vows to keep feeding in Eugene park, despite city and neighborhood pushback

The volunteers continued to serve breakfast at the park on Friday morning. The potential for arrests was made public the day before, and the event drew reporters from multiple news outlets, as well as homeless advocates and Eugene City Councilor Emily Semple.

Police didn’t intervene in NFN’s activity at the park, although several officers briefly parked nearby to respond to an encampment across the street.

Levsen said it’s still unclear when law enforcement may take action against the volunteers. EPD’s McLaughlin didn’t directly respond to KLCC’s question about the timeline for enforcement.

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