The couple behind a grassroots neighborhood-based food bank faces up to $1,200 in fines due to alleged porch litter.
Charles and Kelly Martin — the couple behind the "Porch Pantry" at 1122 N. Ellis St. — received a letter Thursday informing them that they'd been fined $200 for two counts of litter ($100 per violation).
Dated Jan. 18, the letter stated the couple would have to pay the amount, or be fined an additional $1,000 ($500 per violation.) The letter also stated the couple must attend a Zoom hearing on the matter at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 22.
Standing on his porch Thursday afternoon, Charles Martin told WCBU he did not understand why the city issued the fines.
Visitors to the Porch Pantry do sometimes discard trash on his property, Martin said. And sometimes boxes of donations are left in the yard after being dropped off. This isn't the first time the city has "harassed" him about scattered items, Martin said.
But Martin said he's diligent about cleaning everything up. And, he said, he has never been fined before.
"I pick everything up all the time," he said. "There are times there is garbage out here, but I always make sure I get it picked up. ... I'd just like to know, why are they picking on us? We're just out here in the community ... trying to do good."
As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the city's Community Development Department had not returned a phone call from a WCBU reporter.
A city staffer did, however, follow up with Martin: the staffer told Martin that litter had been observed on two different occasions on the porch.
Martin told WCBU he would appreciate more clarity from the city around what exactly was considered "litter," and why nearly a month passed between the alleged violations and the notice arriving in the mail.
"We're just trying to do our part," said Martin, adding, 12 years ago, I was homeless. The wife and I, we struggled. We know what it's like to struggle ... not know where your next meal is coming from. That's why we try to help people out."
'We're trying to do the community thing'
The Martins opened Porch Pantry at their house at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As panicked families and individuals emptied bread and milk aisles across the Tri-County, many turned to Dollar Tree and other convenience stores in West Bluff for food.
Already a "food desert," Martin said it had a terrible effect on his neighbors.
"There's no grocery stores around here," he said. "People, they were hurting for food. ... They had no transportation. They had nowhere to go."
Martin and his wife opened "Porch Pantry" on their front stoop with a single table of food.
Community members quickly rallied around Porch Pantry, donating everything from industrial kitchen shelves and money to food. One neighbor donated $500. Many helped the Martins around the holidays, when Kelli Martin was furloughed from her job.
Holiday Generosity Benefits Porch Pantry Operator
Today, the entire porch is filled with coolers of frozen meats, wire and wooden shelves of dried goods, racks of clothing and more. The Martins receive donations of meat weekly and participate in The Book Rack's "Reach out and Read" program.
Between 30 and 55 people visit the Martins' house each day (the couple can count the number of visitors by checking a home security system.)
"I want everybody to realize what we're trying to do, and we can't do it without everybody's support," Charles Martin said. "Whether that's monetary, or donations of food. ... we're trying to do the community thing where the community comes together to help everybody else."
You can donate to The Porch Pantry through a GoFundMe fundraiser.
