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Lunch Lady Fined For Helping Needy Kids

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Lunch Lady Fined For Helping Needy Kids

Angela Prattis is active in her Pennsylvania community; she’s a stay-at-home mom who fosters a child and runs a basketball program in the neighborhood. The long list of her good deeds should be enough to keep her on the good side of the town officials, but since she started giving free lunches to nearby children who aren’t as fortunate as her own, she’s catching some flack.

Prattis set up a service out of her driveway every weekday during the summer to hand out free lunches, which Delaware County officials say is against an ordinance. If she wants to continue to do so next summer, she’ll have to pay a thousand dollars in fines. Because the food is coming from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Nutritional Development Services–where she volunteers–and because her home has been approved by the state as a place to distribute food, Prattis is confused.

“No one is condemning her for feeding children that need the lunch program,” said township manager William Piserik. “But we advised her she’s violating an ordinance and was told she’d have to apply for a variance, which costs $1,000 to pay for the zoning hearing. I’m assuming she’ll sit down and discuss it with the Township Council and the solicitor. Nobody’s against the program, but folks don’t want the program set up in the lady’s front driveway.”

Since Prattis’ story broke, people from all over the country are outraged that community leaders would try and take away such a valuable program–which affects at least 60 children–over a bit of bureaucracy. Prattis says she’ll work something out, but until then, the kids won’t suffer.

“I’m not stopping. These kids are hungry. I’m not tearing down the community. I’m keeping the children out of harm’s way,” she said. “Last Friday, I had 20 children walk to my house in the pouring rain for lunch, and at 2 pm they came back for a snack. Tell me this program is not needed.”

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There are 26 Comments. Add Yours.
  1. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    weber

    those assholes would be greatful if it was one of their kids,but not, so she has to pay so they can have money in their pocket.wake up you idiots instead of head up ass………..

    Reply
  2. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    elizabeth

    Township should have thought of this themselves shame on them no need for kids to go hungry in United States after we support so many countries with food and money shame shame shame

    Reply
    • Like (0) Dislike (0)
      NICOLE WHORTON

      i agree……GO LUNCH LADY!!!!!
      way to many people…espically kids go hungry in this country….it’s not right….shame on the township.

      Reply
  3. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Bump

    There is way too much bureaucracy in this world. Come on…let this woman help and get out of the way!

    Reply
  4. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    pearlie369

    If they didn’t want the program set up in her driveway then maybe they should have set up the program at one of the taxpayer funded buildings. I can understand if they were worried about health codes, or nutritional values but to reject the kids just to make another 1,000 dollars is insanity at it’s best. Who wants to keep a big brother government?

    Reply
  5. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Nanner

    This really sucks! I am a para at a local elem.school & I have bought TONS of lunches for hungry, poor children..Compassionate, giving people should not be fined or penalized!

    Reply
  6. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Connie

    I also am a school lunch lady. And for 15 years, I have seen how much food must be thrown out, versus letting us give it to the children to take home or at the very least a food bank or soup kitchen. But as a civil servant, I must follow the orders of the bureaucrats that have probably never gone hungry. God Bless that Lunch Lady that is trying to make a difference in a few childrens lives.

    Reply
  7. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Liz

    I have an idea, stop having kids if you cant feed them. Sounds like common sense to me.

    Reply
    • Like (0) Dislike (0)
      Dora Hamilton

      That is mean!!

      Reply
    • Like (0) Dislike (0)
      Mike

      wow that is ignorant. hard times have fallen on millions of Americans, and that’s you’re response? Can you be a bigger asshole? troll.

      Reply
      • Like (0) Dislike (0)
        Daniel

        Actually, the guy has a point. If you can’t afford to feed the kid, stop smoking pot or turn him/her to DFCS. You have a problem with me saying this? Bite me.

        Reply
    • Like (0) Dislike (0)
      Dan

      Yes, I agree!

      Reply
    • Like (0) Dislike (0)
      Sharon

      How ignorant your common sense sounds.

      Reply
  8. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Jessica

    I’m honestly amazed at how messed up this situation is. A person, trying to help CHILDREN, makes a few lunches and hands them out. Are you telling me that to help others you have to pay the government first?!?!?!?!? That is seriously the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! Lets punish the people doing some good and keep electing morons to office…(Total Sarcasm). If I were this woman, I would find a way to legally beat the system. If enough people open their mouths, someone will eventually have to listen.

    Reply
  9. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    caffeiner

    another example of how laws interfere with morals

    Reply
  10. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Martha

    The town will more than likely appoint a comittee to decide how to proceed with this issue and the children will starve to death. What kind of society do we live in?

    Reply
  11. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Mightymightydolla

    “But we advised her she’s violating an ordinance and was told she’d have to apply for a variance, which costs $1,000 to pay for the zoning hearing”
    As usual, this comes down to money (the REAL American way!). If she had just paid the $1,000, this would never have happened. Or maybe the township would have saw how a good ordinance does not apply in this situation but that would require thinking and Politicians are not good at that.

    Reply
  12. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Dawn

    Perfect example of how the government wants its cut of everything someone does. Just to blow the money one something stupid like taking a congressman to lunch in a limo. Free enterprise???

    Reply
  13. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    MEB

    God bless her and her endeavors.

    Reply
  14. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Daniel

    What we need to do is have our police organize raids on the SMALLER drug targets (i.e. the buyers) instead of the large ones. If you scare off the buyers, the suppliers will have to charge more to make up for the profit. Eventually, these two factors will work together to end the drug market altogether. I, personally, think we should shut down the borders completely, and the only foreigners allowed would be diplomats and foreign leaders. Consider any illegal immigrant to be an invader, declare war on the countries that don’t give a damn when their people come here against our laws, and the dealers and cartels will have to look somewhere else for a quick, sleazy profit. Help Mexico get a good, non-corrupt person in power, and we should be set to go. The drug addicts will find their precious “dope” harder to find, they (hopefully) stop using it, and they will have more money to feed their kids.

    Reply
  15. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    jolie

    I can’t even believe that the statement “handing out food to children is not allowed” exists! This is ALL about the “township” NOT getting it’s cut of the pie…..$$$$$$$. Either get permission, probably by the way of purchasing a permit…or pay a fine! So, I guess at Halloween the “township” won’t let yu give out candy??? How about that sweet lady have the kids knock on her door, get a sandwich, go next door, get some chips, and the next house get some milk….do you think that might be ok then? Probably not! But you could give them a handful of CANDY but OH NO, don’t give them healthy foods…no, that’s against an Ordinance!!!
    What a group of grade A A**holes! Where’s the humanity?

    Reply
  16. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Robin Clarke

    UN-Believable!!! The Township should have put this energy into honoring this women! They should be proud to have such an excellent example of caring about her community, the humans who suffer in it and the ones who step-up to it. Someone who puts into action un-conditional humanitarian,great example of how we should all be at least a bit more like this caring, compassionate, unselfish, all about goodness, loving individual. The City should give her a certificate of appreciation and some thankful recognition. What the hell is wrong with this Country? Greed is what is most important, getting a cut from anything it can? What happened to people coming together and helping each other, like they used to??? And what is this crap with these stupid gangs say they shot someone, because they disrespected them. How did this respect thing so so blown out? You get respect when you do something that earns respect. Like this lady feeding out hungry Kids. That deserves respect! You don’t get respect because you walk around thinking your another useless rapper thug. That gets you nothing, because it deserves nothing. Go feed some hungry kids in your back yard or drive way or go support this women doing something useful with compassion and love. If I were in your State, I would go door to door and get every able bodied willing person to go and help her. Actually the guy with the idea of having some fruit at the next house and some milk at the next and so on has a good idea. Come on people support this women, have some energy and care about your community, get involved in this People in numbers can truly make a difference. This is so worth getting involved in. God Bless her. I would be proud to have someone like her as my neighbor.

    Reply
  17. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Gerald

    I have an idea….move the food from the driveway to the lawn, or front porch…better yet get a wealthy 1%er to donate the $1000. Think they could afford it? Greed and money is the basic issue here.

    Reply
  18. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Al

    There is a special place in heaven waiting for you ma’am. You don’t want the publicity, you’re just trying to help. But since the publicity came your way, make it work for you.

    There are some times (like this one) when “bending” the law is EXACTLY the right thing to do – at least until the law can be changed.

    Keep up the great work. You are a magnificent lady.

    Reply
  19. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    Al

    And one more thing…

    If you lived next to me, I’d be cheering you on and helping you, not complaining. I can’t imagine that anyone complained [about it being in a residential area], but if they did, then they should be ashamed of themselves.

    Reply
  20. Like (0) Dislike (0)
    mantha stoirmeil

    I think you should get everyone you know to blizzard the White House or the First Lady about this — you are trying to give some hungry kids a nutritional boost and find yourself in trouble for a $1000 FINE (good God) if you want to continue. At least work to get that fine remanded, so you can continue, and some support so you can get the necessary permits. Any money going out from you should be about the food for those kids — the rest of this American “village” should be helping you, not dragging you back.

    Reply

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