Lake Worth Beach passes Ordinance on food handouts

Lake Worth Beach approves new rules limiting free food handouts in public parks

The Lake Worth Beach City Commission has approved a new ordinance tightening special event permit requirements — including new limits on where and how often free food handouts can take place. City leaders said the changes are about public safety and regulation, but advocates warn the rules could make it harder to reach people already struggling with food insecurity.

WPTV has been following this issue since June, when organizers told us demand for free meals was growing as inflation and rising housing costs pushed more residents to the edge.

Back in June, WPTV's Vannia Joseph spoke with Melissa Salerno, an organizer with the Palm Beach County chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). She said their group was serving more people each week and relied heavily on Bryant Park — located in the heart of the city and near bus routes because it was accessible.

"Food is the utmost basic human right," Socialist Salerno said. Under the newly approved ordinance, free food handout events are now treated as special events and face stricter permitting requirements.

The rules limit free food distributions to only three locations:

Memorial Park Pavilion
Howard Park Pavilion
Sunset Ridge Park Pavilion

Commissioner Christopher McVoy, the only commissioner to vote against the ordinance.

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So why not Bryant Park? They will now all be assembling there.