James and Anita have long owned a diner that serves a wonderful breakfast with generous amounts of coffee. Each morning the restaurant would be filled with men and women who worked in the county courthouse just down the street. Retired folks gathered and drank coffee together reminiscing about the way things used to be. The servers were typically local college students working their way through college and getting a free meal for each shift.
While business was brisk in the morning, during the work week, overall basic expenses were growing heavier, and margins were tight. In order to continue to be successful, the diner needed a decent lunch and dinner crowd as well. Anita was famous for her pie, and retired farmers were regular customers.
Many in the community, including James and Anita, had no idea that there were people in the community that were literally homeless and were living in abandoned buildings, hidden behind dumpsters and tool sheds. These folks would come out quietly calling churches on their state-funded cell phones, knocking on doors, and chasing down food banks to get all the handouts that they could gather.
One Tuesday afternoon one of these men came into the diner, and after using the bathroom, sat a heavy-looking backpack down, took up a seat at a booth, and grabbed a menu off of the table. It did not take long for those sitting near the booth to become aware that this man had not showered in a very long time. Subtly, these folks simply moved to another table. The man reached in his pocket and put a wad of dirty worn dollars on the table as he calculated what he would order. As the young server asked if he wanted anything to drink, he mumbled something that she interpreted as requesting a cup of coffee. She promptly returned with the coffee when he, suddenly speaking very clearly, told her, using creative use of the English language, that he did not want any coffee. Other customers promptly paid their bills and left.
The man ate, and rather than counting out the money, handed it to the server, and there was no other incident. However, word was out about this incident and the next day the lunch crowd was noticeably smaller. A few days later an encampment was created at the local park, mostly on public sidewalks near the diner. Now, not only the lunch crowd but other meals were impacted. James and Anita first complained to city officials and then county officials. But there was little legally that could be done. Some church leaders accused the couple of being heartless and mean for wanting to get the homeless camp moved away from their business.
Ultimately, James and Anita closed the diner and moved to another community. James and Anita are hardworking, virtuous business owners. They need us to support them by giving the homeless opportunity to flourish.
