Charity Allowed to Continue Its Meals for Poor

A weekend soup kitchen that faced eviction from a Sherman Oaks park when it ran afoul of regulators will be allowed to continue its operations, its organizer said.

The Institute of Human Services, which had been hosting “poor people’s picnics,” received a temporary restaurant permit Thursday, easing its return Saturday to the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Community Center.

In return, the Van Nuys charity agreed to have the food prepared in church kitchens instead of the homes of members of local churches and civic organizations.

“I’m elated,” said Wayne Harr, director of the institute. “Homeless people will be able to have high-quality meals on the weekend in the Valley.”

Sought More Space

Problems began when the dinners program attracted so many people that organizers sought permission to move to a more spacious area of the park.

The request drew attention to the fact that the program, which Harr said has fed 660 people since its inception in June, was operating without a permit.

Harr said county health officials told him that the institute would not be able to obtain a permit because the food, usually prepared at the homes of volunteers and transported in their private vehicles, was being prepared and transported under illegal and potentially unsafe conditions.

The program’s eviction would have left the Valley homeless without hot meals during the summer weekends, Harr said. The Salvation Army, which also feeds the homeless, has suspended serving weekend hot meals through August because of indebtedness and staff vacations.

Permit Expires in Month

The temporary permit expires Sept. 6, when the Salvation Army’s program is scheduled to resume. But Harr says he plans to abandon the program Aug. 30 because of difficulties in carrying it out.

“In order to get organizations to fulfill the program through Aug. 30, I’ve had to make over 700 calls,” he said. “I never want to go through that again.”

However, Harr said he is exploring ways for the institute to join forces with the Salvation Army in feeding Valley homeless.

As for the larger space, Harr said he has temporarily abandoned lobbying for it because he does not expect many to arrive at this weekend’s picnic because of publicity over the pending eviction.