The homeless dinners in Malibu will take place weekly starting on Dec. 17, according to comments made by Kay Gabbard during the Tuesday, Dec. 4, Malibu City Council meeting.
From then on, Gabbard—who is affiliated with the Malibu United Methodist Church—said the dinners will take place every Monday at 4 p.m. at the MUMC.
The dinners sparked controversy in the community—and later, on a national scale—when they were cut off last year due to pressure from nearby neighbors and the City of Malibu.
A number of local officials, agency representatives, law enforcement and volunteers came together to figure out a solution: The dinners—titled the “Meals Program for Homeless Individuals”—were brought back to the old Malibu County Courthouse at the end of September.
The dinners were once again put on hold following the November Woolsey Fire, which burned many homes in western Malibu. The city’s Disaster Assistance Center is currently posted in the courthouse.
Gabbard asked the city to redirect facility funds toward providing security at the church during and after the meals, requesting council put an item on its agenda to “spend money you were spending on cleaning up after the Monday night dinners and spend [it] on security.”