Was Florida man arrested for feeding homeless? Claim explained as viral post sparks outrage

Social media is rife with misinformation, where unverified stories frequently go viral. 

One such Instagram post by @positivamindsets about a Florida man went viral with a false claim. The account asserted that a 90-year-old person was arrested for feeding the homeless a second time within a week. The Instagrammer claimed in the caption: 

“Abbott, who has fed the hungry at the beach on Wednesdays for eight years, refuses to comply. This Wednesday he plans to set up his feeding station at the beach and could confront his third citation in two weeks. Violators of the rule can face 60 days in jail or a $500 fine.” 

The post also caused an instant outrage among the followers, who favored the 90-year-old Florida man. 

“How do you arrest someone for feeding the homeless?,” @sherice_creates asked. 

“Does he have a GoFundMe? I would like to help this man and his mission,” @mcwoodsle enquired. 

“Love that he does this ❤️❤️ Horrific that it’s illegal,” @kindness.changes.everything2 hailed the Florida man. 

“Those officers should be ashamed of themselves,” @sewcharmed criticized the police. 

However, the claim made by @positivamindsets is partially true, as no such incident was reported recently. A person named Arnold Abbott was arrested in Florida, but it happened more than a decade ago. The then-90-year-old was arrested in Fort Lauderdale in November 2014 under a new ordinance that prohibited public food sharing, per WPLG. 

Arnold Abbott threatened to challenge the Fort Lauderdale, Florida government in 2014 against a ban on feeding the homeless

Arnold Abbott, a World War II veteran, started his charity work of sharing food with homeless people in 1991. The Miami Herald noted that the Florida man, who earned the nickname “Chef Arnold,” used to feed those whom he found on or near Fort Lauderdale beach.  

Arnold Abbott also founded Love Thy Neighbor Fund, a feeding program in memory of his late wife, Maureen A. Abbott. However, in October 2014, the City of Fort Lauderdale passed an ordinance making it illegal to serve food to the homeless in public. Abbott opposed the decision and continued his philanthropic efforts. 

According to PBS, the authorities issued the anti-hunger activist two citations before his arrest in November 2014. Arnold Abbott and two pastors were taken into custody for violating the new ordinance, WPLG reported. They also faced up to 60 days in prison and $500 fine for breaking the law. 

At the time, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler appreciated Abbott for his efforts, but asked the then-90-year-old Florida activist to feed the homeless at the indoor locations (via ABC): 

“We hope he feeds. He has a very valuable role in the community. All we're saying is he can feed the next block over. He can feed at the church. We want them to be in safe secure settings. We wanted them to be in a sanitary matter. We them to have facilities available before and after.”

He further defended the new ordinance and said: 

“Arnold thinks he can feed wherever he wants and the laws say differently. Despite the fact that he's a super nice guy and he's a gentleman and a kind soul we have to enforce the law.” 

Seiler also opposed feeding the homeless during a conversation with the Sun-Sentinel. He was quoted as saying: 

“I’m not satisfied with having a cycle of homeless in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Providing them with a meal and keeping them in that cycle on the street is not productive.”

Arnold Abbot, 90, appears at homeless rally in Fort Lauderdale. pic.twitter.com/mx2xjSckfJ

— Erika C. Pesantes (@epesantes) November 29, 2014

Despite the pushback from the city government, Arnold Abbott maintained his stance and asserted that he would continue to feed the homeless. The anti-hunger activist threatened to explore a legal path to challenge the City of Fort Lauderdale. He told WPLG: 

“I’m going to have to go to court again and sue the city of Fort Lauderdale -- a beautiful city. These are the poorest of the poor, they have nothing, they don't have a roof over their heads. How do you turn them away?”

According to The Washington Post, the court eventually favored Arnold and other activists and halted the ordinance of the City of Fort Lauderdale. 

The Florida man continued to feed the homeless until he died in 2019. Chef Arnold, a retired jewelry salesman and a WWII veteran, was 94 when he passed away.