“Abbott, a World War II veteran and civil rights activist,” as the Associated Press described him, was “affectionately known as ‘Chef Arnold.’” “For nearly 25 years, Abbott has been feeding the hungry through the organization he named after his deceased wife, the Maureen A. Abbott Love Thy Neighbor Fund,” the Broward Palm Beach New Times wrote in November 2014, and “Abbott started serving food in memory of his late wife.” “Arnold Abbott has been serving food on the beach just about every Wednesday since 1991,” New Times said. “Without fail, he would be found at Fort Lauderdale Beach every Wednesday feeding the less fortunate,” CBS Miami later wrote. He had stood up to the city before: “In 1999, the city tried to stop Abbott from feeding the homeless on Fort Lauderdale Beach, prompting a lawsuit from Abbott, which he won,” Local 10 News reported.
In 2014 came what WLRN later described as “a 2014 city ordinance that banned food sharing in public parks unless the park was located at least 500 feet from residences. It also mandated that those providing food provide portable toilets and hand washing stations.” “Fort Lauderdale’s ordinance took effect Friday,” the AP wrote. That Sunday, “Fort Lauderdale police charged three men -- including two pastors and a 90-year-old man -- for feeding the homeless in public,” Local 10 News reported, and “The first to be charged was homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90.” They “were handing out meals in a park on Sunday, two days after Fort Lauderdale’s ordinance took effect, when police approached them with their sirens flashing,” NBC News reported, citing one of the pastors. “Arnold Abbott was stopped and cited by police for feeding the homeless on November 2, 2014,” New Times wrote.
“One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon,” Abbott said. “All three men face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine,” Local 10 News reported, though “Police said the men were not taken into custody and were given notices to appear in court,” in the AP’s words. Abbott told Local 10: “These are the poorest of the poor, they have nothing, they don’t have a roof over their heads. How do you turn them away?”
“But on Wednesday night, Abbott and others served a four-course meal by the beach as police filmed from a distance and a crowd of nearly 100 mostly homeless and volunteers cheered their arrival,” the AP wrote. “Several police officers watched and allowed Abbott’s crew to feed everyone before issuing Abbott another citation.” The next day, Al Jazeera reported, he “said on Thursday he would continue his practice, telling the NBC news channel in an interview: ‘I’m awfully hard to intimidate.’” In December, “Prosecutors delayed filing formal charges against Abbott after Broward County Judge Thomas Lynch ruled Tuesday that there were to be no arrests or citations for 30 days,” Local 10 News reported.
Years later, in August 2018, “A controversial city of Fort Lauderdale ordinance banning the sharing of food with homeless residents in a city park was dealt a blow by a federal appeals court,” WLRN reported. “The decision declared food sharing as protected by the First Amendment.” The case was another group’s, Food Not Bombs: its “weekly event of breaking bread with the poor is clearly a form of ‘expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment,’ the judges wrote.” Arnold Abbott died in February 2019. “Arnold Abbott, the founder of the nonprofit organization Love Thy Neighbor, was 94 years old,” CBS Miami reported, and “Homeless people are just like anybody else. They’re just people down on their luck,” he would say. The city’s mayor, Dean J. Trantalis, said: “The City of Fort Lauderdale is truly saddened by the loss of Arnold Abbott. He was a courageous individual and a champion for the underserved.”
Fact check
The facts and where they come from
- At 90, police charged him for handing out food. Local 10 News: “Fort Lauderdale police charged three men -- including two pastors and a 90-year-old man -- for feeding the homeless in public on Sunday”; “The first to be charged was homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90.” The Associated Press: “Despite being charged with violating a new law by feeding the homeless in South Florida, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott said he’s not deterred.” 21
- His name was Arnold Abbott, a World War II veteran. The Associated Press: “Abbott, a World War II veteran and civil rights activist”; “Abbott, affectionately known as ‘Chef Arnold.’” 1
- When his wife Maureen died, he began feeding the homeless in her memory. Broward Palm Beach New Times: “For nearly 25 years, Abbott has been feeding the hungry through the organization he named after his deceased wife, the Maureen A. Abbott Love Thy Neighbor Fund”; “Abbott started serving food in memory of his late wife.” The Associated Press: “he has been serving the homeless for more than two decades in honor of his late wife.” 561
- Almost every Wednesday, he served meals on Fort Lauderdale beach. New Times: “Arnold Abbott has been serving food on the beach just about every Wednesday since 1991”; “Abbott since 1991 has made it a weekly habit to feed the hungry every Wednesday by the beach with his group, Love Thy Neighbor.” CBS Miami: “Without fail, he would be found at Fort Lauderdale Beach every Wednesday feeding the less fortunate.” 6510
- Then, in 2014, a new city law limited sharing food in public. The Associated Press: “The faceoff in Fort Lauderdale over the ordinance restricting public feeding of the homeless”; “Fort Lauderdale’s ordinance took effect Friday.” WLRN: “a 2014 city ordinance that banned food sharing in public parks unless the park was located at least 500 feet from residences. It also mandated that those providing food provide portable toilets and hand washing stations.” 19
- Days later, police stopped him in a park. NBC News, citing one of the pastors: “were handing out meals in a park on Sunday, two days after Fort Lauderdale’s ordinance took effect, when police approached them with their sirens flashing.” New Times: “Arnold Abbott was stopped and cited by police for feeding the homeless on November 2, 2014.” 46
- “Drop that plate right now,” an officer told him. Abbott, to the Associated Press and Local 10 News: “One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon.” 12
- “As if I were carrying a weapon,” he said. Abbott, to the Associated Press and Local 10 News: “One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon.” 12
- He faced up to 60 days in jail. The Associated Press: “each faces up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.” Local 10 News: “All three men face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.” 12
- That Wednesday, he was back on the beach, serving a four-course meal. The Associated Press: “But on Wednesday night, Abbott and others served a four-course meal by the beach as police filmed from a distance and a crowd of nearly 100 mostly homeless and volunteers cheered their arrival.” 1
- Police let everyone eat, then cited him again. The Associated Press: “Several police officers watched and allowed Abbott’s crew to feed everyone before issuing Abbott another citation.” New Times: he “was cited again Wednesday night for the same reason.” 15
- “I’m awfully hard to intimidate,” he said. Al Jazeera: “Abbott, who is known in his community as ‘Chef Arnold’, said on Thursday he would continue his practice, telling the NBC news channel in an interview: ‘I’m awfully hard to intimidate.’” 7
- Years later, a federal appeals court ruled sharing food can be protected speech. WLRN (August 22, 2018): “A controversial city of Fort Lauderdale ordinance banning the sharing of food with homeless residents in a city park was dealt a blow by a federal appeals court Wednesday. The decision declared food sharing as protected by the First Amendment”; “Food Not Bombs’ weekly event of breaking bread with the poor is clearly a form of ‘expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment,’ the judges wrote.” 9
- He died in 2019, at 94. CBS Miami (February 22, 2019): “Arnold Abbott, the founder of the nonprofit organization Love Thy Neighbor, was 94 years old.” 10
- The city that charged him called him a champion for the underserved. Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, in CBS Miami: “The City of Fort Lauderdale is truly saddened by the loss of Arnold Abbott. He was a courageous individual and a champion for the underserved.” Local 10 News (2014): “Fort Lauderdale police charged three men.” 102
Sources
- 90-year-old who broke law by feeding homeless undeterred in Florida (updated November 7, 2014) The Associated Press, on CBS News
- Police charge 90-year-old man, 2 pastors with feeding homeless (November 4, 2014; archived copy) Local 10 News (WPLG)
- Arnold Abbott not charged for feeding homeless in public (December 3, 2014; archived copy) Local 10 News (WPLG)
- Fort Lauderdale Charges 90-Year-Old, Two Pastors for Feeding Homeless (November 2014) NBC News
- Arnold Abbott, 90-Year-Old Activist, Cited Again for Feeding Homeless (Chris Joseph, November 6, 2014) Broward Palm Beach New Times
- At the Beach With Arnold Abbott, Fort Lauderdale’s Homeless-Feeding Advocate (Stefan Kamph, 2011, updated November 2014) Broward Palm Beach New Times
- US activist faces jail for feeding homeless (November 8, 2014) Al Jazeera
- Feisty Chef Can Feed Homeless Without Fear Of Fines (December 2014) CBS Miami
- Appeals Court Rules Against Fort Lauderdale’s Food Sharing Ban (August 22, 2018) WLRN (South Florida public radio)
- ‘Arrested Several Times For Feeding The Hungry,’ Champion Of The Poor Arnold Abbott Dies At 94 (February 22, 2019) CBS Miami
Notes
Charged, not arrested: many headlines said “arrested,” but the AP reported that “Police said the men were not taken into custody and were given notices to appear in court.” The Short says police “charged” him (the word Local 10 and NBC News used) and “cited him again,” never that he was arrested.
How the charges ended: after a Broward County judge ordered a 30-day halt, “Prosecutors delayed filing formal charges against Abbott” (Local 10 News, December 3, 2014), and CBS Miami reported that “the judge delayed the arraignment.” No later outcome was found, so this page doesn’t say the charges were dropped or tried.
The appeals ruling: the 2018 case was brought by Fort Lauderdale Food Not Bombs, a different group from Abbott’s Love Thy Neighbor. The Short says only that a federal appeals court ruled sharing food can be protected speech, not whose case it was.
The second citation: the AP and New Times put it on Wednesday night, November 5, 2014; a later New Times update says November 4. The Short says “That Wednesday.”
His wife: reports differ on how and when Maureen Abbott died, so the Short says only that she died and that he began feeding the homeless in her memory. Some retellings say he made her a promise; no reliable source for that was found, and it is left out.
The park: NBC News says only “a park.” The reports don’t say it was Stranahan Park, so the photo of Stranahan Park is not captioned as the place he was stopped.
The quote: “I’m awfully hard to intimidate” comes from Al Jazeera, which cites an NBC interview; the NBC interview itself was not found online.
Arnold Abbott has died. The two pastors charged with him are not named here, and no one fed on the beach is shown or named. Left out: how his wife died and his life beyond the food sharing and the 2014 citations.
Pictures: only one free photo of Arnold Abbott exists, and no photo on this page shows the 2014 citations, his beach meals, his wife or his charity’s food. Abbott is in his chef’s jacket, embroidered “Arnold P. Abbott, Director” and “Love Thy Neighbor,” with a homeless advocate inside the US Capitol in Washington on December 18, 2014, six weeks after the citations (a phone photo uploaded by the man beside him). Fort Lauderdale City Hall and Stranahan Park, downtown, are seen on December 8, 2014 (Phillip Pessar); the reports don’t name the park where he was stopped. The police car is a Fort Lauderdale Police Department cruiser on January 29, 2013 (Hillelfrei), not the car or officers of 2014. Fort Lauderdale’s beach is seen at sunrise in 2006 (Xanxz), off Central Beach on April 7, 2012 (EgorovaSvetlana), on March 12, 2013 (Ting read) and at a lifeguard stand on May 11, 2025 (MdeVicente); the beachgoers are far away and not named. The two plates are generic, not his: free vegetarian food in Helsinki on July 18, 2026, and salad on a paper plate on May 11, 2021 (both JIP). The jail cells are an exhibit at the Old Police Headquarters in San Diego on October 10, 2016 (Rhododendrites); he was never jailed. The courthouse is the Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building in Atlanta, home of the 11th Circuit, on March 23, 2019 (Warren LeMay), and the gazebo in Stranahan Park is seen on May 15, 2020 (MrBill3).
Photo credits
The archive photos in this story
The photographs and illustrations in this story are in the public domain or shared under open licenses; each one is credited below with its license. Tap one to enlarge it, or follow the link to its archive page for the full record. The narration, captions and graphics in the Short are our own; its music and sound effects are credited below.
Music and sound effects
Music: Schumann, Kinderszenen, Op. 15: No. 1 'Of Foreign Lands and Peoples (Musopen, public domain); Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: IV. Bydlo (piano) (Musopen, public domain); Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 'From the New World': II. Largo (Musopen, public domain).
Sound effects: Freesound, CC0.
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