Philadelphia Regulates Brotherly Love to Curb Homeless Picnics

When Philadelphia’s spring dogwoods blossom, Brian Jenkins will head to a triangular greenway on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway just before dusk and help set up two long, cloth-covered tables where cornbread, grilled Tilapia and peach cobbler are served to the homeless.

The outdoor feeding that begins each May includes music, sometimes a banjo-strumming gospel singer or a sound system and a choir. Parents come with children in tow, and while some have found a place to sleep, in an economy still recovering from recession, more are in need of something to eat.