For 36 years, Fr. Bob Caudill has been feeding the homeless at All Saints Catholic Mission in Oakland Park. For the last 12, he’s been locked in a standoff with the city, which alleges he’s operating a non-permitted soup kitchen. \u00a0<\/p>\n
“In 2014, they decided to rezone the power line area. They told me fallaciously that ‘you have to stop feeding, you’re not feeding in the new zoning,'” said Fr. Bob.<\/p>\n
Fr. Bob kept feeding the homeless, offering them showers, and giving spiritual guidance. There’s a price to that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Long and short of this is the case, we are suing them to stop the harassment because it’s over $500,000. It’s 125 dollars a day since 2014, and they put a lien on our building,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He already took the city to court in January, but Oakland Park’s attorney successfully got the case tossed because of a missed deadline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeremiah Williams is unhoused. He’s been coming here the past few months as he works to get a license to drive semi’s\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I come here to take showers. \u00a0I come here to eat breakfast and lunch. I use my snap card to purchase other items. I go to the park, I exercise there, and, I even come to mass here,” Williams said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He depends on the help to give him a hand up.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know any other church or any other, any other pastor that will help us the way that he has,” Williams said.<\/p>\n
“So Christ was very clear about us helping his people, and it doesn’t matter what stage of life or who you are,” Fr. Bob said.<\/p>\n
“Everybody’s just a child of God, point blank, right?”<\/p>\n
Fr. Bob plans to continue his mission to give food to the hungry as he prepares to head back to court for a second round on trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Pray for us,” he urged. \u00a0“Help us win this trial. Amen!”<\/p>\n
CBS News Miami reached out to the city of Oakland Park. They said they cannot comment because of pending litigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n