CBS News: San Jose Orders Pastor to Shut Down Handing out Free Groceries to over 1,000 People Weekly

EXCERPT:

NELSON (voice-over): "These are just a handful of the more than thousand people a week who come to Lighthouse Food Rescue and Distribution, and the organizer Pastor Ralph Olmos says the food pantry was a huge improvement over what was here before."

OLMOS: "It was an old liquor store that went under because there was gambling issue that went on here. It actually got shut down. Two meth labs were next door."

NELSON (voice-over): "Pastor Ralph opened the food distribution center in 2021, setting up what they call a farmer’s market on the sidewalk out front, where anyone can come by and get groceries five days a week. That’s why he was so surprised when he got a citation from the city of San Jose code enforcement, saying they need to clear the sidewalk within 10 days and shut the whole thing down at this location within 60 days or face fines of up to $20,000 day. It’s something Pastor Ralph says he’s simply won’t do."