UCF students feed an average of 100 homeless people every Monday at the old downtown Orlando Post Office, on the corner of Jefferson Street and Magnolia Avenue.
A large group-feeding ordinance enacted July 2006 prohibits groups exceeding 25 people to gather in any of Orlando's parks or within two miles of City Hall without a permit, which is only available twice a year to each group. The Post Office is outside of the two-mile radius and does not qualify as a park.
The vacant windows of the Post Office shed light over the crowd of homeless as they occupy the steps, benches and sidewalks feasting on a full meal seldom enjoyed in life on the streets.
"The beginning of the month is usually slower because that's when they get their checks," said Rock for Hunger President Chris Goyzueta, 25, who will be returning to UCF in the spring for a master's degree in public relations.
"It was busier for the first Monday of the month," said Greg Rollett, 25, UCF alumnus. "We weren't expecting this much."
The only place to feed the homeless within the two-mile radius is called Sylvia Lane, a gated parking lot lined with barbed wire and padlocks under the State Road 408 overpass off of Gore Street.
Rock for Hunger has a partnership with Volunteer UCF, which posts a schedule of its activities on the VUCF Web site. Students have shown up to feedings from the nursing program and the American Medical Students Association to help as a result.
"I look forward to coming out here all week," said Ben Bergholtz, 20, an English literature major who has been with the group for a year. "The hardest part about getting involved with volunteer work is getting started. Once you come out here it's very rewarding … It's gotten pretty exciting feeding over 100 people a week and getting people jobs."
The group also provides services to help people get jobs and job training.
"We helped two guys get forklift certification courses, which will get them two full employment jobs," Goyzueta said. "For the job training they learn Microsoft Office, typing and other office skills, including how to write a resume."
The group pays an estimated $150 out of pocket to the provide their services with food donations from Stonewood Grill and Tavern in Oviedo, the downtown plant of Crystal Springs donates bottled water and Tijuana Flats donates silverware whenever they run out.
Regular attendee and the backbone of the whole operation, according to other members, T. Jeter, a senior molecular and microbiology major, works at Stonewood, which provides a lot of the hot food by freezing bulk quantities of cooked leftovers, usually rice, potatoes and pasta on Sunday nights.
The group gets calls from people and organizations wishing to donate food and Jeter picks it up.
"I'm responsible for the hot food," Jeter said. "We cook frantically for an hour and rush it down here. It's a mad dash to try not to spill the French onion soup. Every corner is [nerve-racking] … I guess this is my contribution to society."
On the menu for the night's feeding was salad with the choice of vinegarette or ranch dressing, beans, mashed potatoes, fried onions, baked apples, whole apples and bananas, fish, garlic bread, soup, Capri Sun and Little Debbie oatmeal cookies.
Rock for Hunger Group boasts no political agenda, seeing homelessness as a series of fixable problems and their altruistic responsibility to do what they can.
"People don't have any excuse not to come out here," said Adam Jasne, 28, molecular and microbiology major. "I've actually run into people who are against feeding the homeless. Like I'm enabling it feeding people every Monday, so they won't get off the streets because I'm making it too easy.
"Some people make the argument that 'I don't give them money because they'll just use it to buy booze.' … When was the last time you found being judgmental to be useful? It's not about why they're there, it's the fact that they're there at all and need help."
Brian Nichols, Pastor and founder of the First Vagabond Church of God and supporter of Rock for Hunger, agrees.
"There's the mentality that people don't have because they don't deserve," Nichols said. "It removes empathy toward another human being. Now they don't have any responsibility toward these people."
Nichols became homeless after a back injury that prevented him from continuing his work as a licensed handyman. Inspired by a church service in Heritage Park, he founded the First Vagabond Church of God and holds services in Langford Park near where he now owns a home.
"Do you know what the ironic thing is?" Nichols said. "I've done more for the community as a homeless person than I've ever done in the 27 years I wasn't."
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