An Arizona (Bullhead City) grandmother arrested for feeding the homeless is filing a lawsuit with the city as a way to fight back and let people help those in need. In March, 78-year-old Norma Thornton was arrested for giving food to the homeless. Bullhead City, Arizona’s law says you can’t give food out to the homeless in public, and now Thornton’s attorneys are filing a lawsuit as part of a more significant push nationwide to let people feed those in need.
… For four years, Norma regularly spent her afternoons preparing hot, nutritious, meals from scratch in her home kitchen and gave them out in the park to anyone who asked. But in 2021, her passion became illegal. Thornton’s attorney said: “At a city council meeting the city attorney made it crystal clear. You may host a pizza party in the park for 50 people or a hundred people. Invite friends, invite strangers. You may do it all day every day, so long as your motivation is something other than to help people in need.”
To continue feeding the city's homeless at this park in accordance with city law, Thornton would have to pay to receive a restrictive city permit, the Institute for Justice said. The permit would limit Thornton's activities to just a two-hour window once a month.
The city has defended its ordinance in an official response posted on Facebook.
"Individuals are free to serve food to any homeless person at their place of residence, church or private property. Our ordinance applies to public parks only," Mayor Tom Brady said in a statement. He went on to say the city funds a homeless shelter that can provide two meals a day to the community, while keeping parks clear.