S.T.O.P. participated in a protest outside Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's campaign event on May 16. The protestors called for repeal of the city ordinance that bans the sharing of food with the homeless in downtown parks.

About S.T.O.P.:

S.T.O.P.–Stop The Ordinance Partnership is a broad-based coalition of local homeless service providers; civic, religious, political and activist groups; and homeless individuals. Members of Orlando Food Not Bombs, the Central Florida Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and others came together in July 2006 to form S.T.O.P.

S.T.O.P.'s mission is a) working for repeal–through action by the Orlando City Council or by court ruling–of the City ordinance passed in July 2006 that effectively bans the sharing of food with hungry and homeless people in public parks downtown. The measure requires a paid permit for any food sharing of 25 or more people and only allows two one-time permits per person, group or organization per 12-month period; b) opposing government measures that crimininalize homelessness, that hinder life-sustaining activities of homeless individuals, and that seek to hinder activities of grassroots groups that provide services, such as food, to homeless individuals; and c) working for humane, constitutional and effective solutions to problems of homelessness in our community.

S.T.O.P. Partners:

• ACORN–Orlando office (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)
• Campus Peace Action (University of Central Florida)
• CAIR–Orlando office (Council on American-Islamic Relations--Florida chapter)
• Fair Trade for a Greater Orlando Coalition
• Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (University of Central Florida)
• First Vagabonds Church of God
• Movement for a Democratic Society–Central Florida chapter
• NAACP–Orange County Branch
• Orlando-area Greens (Green Party of Florida affiliate)
• Orlando CodePink Women for Peace
• Orlando CopWatch
• Orlando Food Not Bombs
• Orlando National Organization for Women
• Orlando Progressive Alliance
• Project Darfur@UCF
• Students for a Democratic Society–Central Florida
• Tailgaters for Jesus
• Valencia Community College Democrats
• Young Communist League USA–Orlando chapter

S.T.O.P. is collective and non-hierarchical, and all partners (group and individual) may participate in making group decisions through a consensus process. Participation in S.T.O.P. is open to any individual or group that is in substantive agreement with our Points of Unity.

S.T.O.P. believes that an injustice to one is an injustice to all and wholeheartedly supports civil liberties and human rights for all people. We hope that everyone feels similarly about the civil liberties and human rights of homeless individuals. S.T.O.P. practices solidarity and mutual aid with its coalition partners and with community groups in their struggles, recognizing that often we seek to achieve the same sorts of goals and that we face the same sort of opposition. All that is different is the setting of the struggle. S.T.O.P. does not endorse or lend support to political candidates and political parties.

S.T.O.P. unveiled its new banner at the Souper Supper Summit, held Jan. 30 at Orlando City Hall

Learn More About S.T.O.P.

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Updated: Dec. 1, 2007