The Planning Commission will meet at noon today to vote on the proposal for a soup kitchen to feed the homeless at 1930 Mission St., between 15th and 16th streets. The proposal, led by two nuns, has been primarily opposed by condo-owners who live in the building where the soup kitchen would be located.
They fear the soup kitchen would attract a negative element to a neighborhood that already struggles with a large homeless population. Sisters Marie Benedicte and Marie Valerie of the Fraternite Notre Dame Mary of Nazareth have led a soup kitchen in the Tenderloin for eight years, but faced an eviction and rent increase at that location last February.
After hearing about their struggle, multimillionaire Tony Robbins, a famous motivational speaker, stepped in to buy the 1,434-square-foot space in the Mission so that the nuns could continue their operation there.
The nuns have spent weeks gathering community support. As of Wednesday, a petition seeking 25,000 supporters for the soup kitchen had gathered about 19,200 signatures.
The Planning Commission hearing will take place at noon on January 12 at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, in room 400.
Mission Local has been covering this issue and our latest story can be found here.