James Chamberlain decided to protest the 130-meal limit at the St. Francis House when he heard the story of a pregnant woman who was turned away from a meal. She was the 131st person of the day, he said.
"Based on moral, ethical standards alone, if she/s pregnant and hungry, let her eat," said Chamberlain, from Catholic Action Resource Exchange, the organization that put the protest together.
About 30 to 50 people marched from the St. Francis House and ended at the steps of City Hall, where protesters spoke out against the limits Tuesday.
The 130-meal limit is enforced by the city because St. Francis House set a 130 limit when they initially applied to obtain a special-use permit allowing them to serve more than 20 meals a day, said Bob Woods, Gainesville spokesman.
Religious organizations such as St. Francis House can serve no more than 20 meals without a special-use permit.
County Commissioner Rodney Long has spoken against the restriction, and Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan has advocated a temporary lifting of the limits, Chamberlain said.
Long and Hanrahan did not return phone calls.
Kent Vant, executive director of the St. Francis House, said the special-use permit is renewed every five years by the city planning board.
When renewing the permit earlier this year, Vant asked about removing or increasing the limit.
The planning board told him that only the City Commission has the authority to change the permit/s limit, he said. The city planning board can only renew it.
Chamberlain is confident that his cause will succeed.
"It/s not a matter of if it/s lifted," he said. "It/s a matter of when, and we believe that with our collective voice it will be sooner rather than later."
