An Orthodox Christian group is suing Phoenix over a new law that requires permits for distributing food and medical care in city parks.
The ministry argues the ordinance violates its First Amendment rights by restricting its religious expression and charitable work.
Phoenix’s new law makes it a misdemeanor for groups to host such events without a permit, citing concerns about safety and cleanliness.
The lawsuit is part of a larger regional debate over how cities should manage homelessness and charitable activities in public spaces.
An Orthodox Christian group sued Phoenix over a new law restricting free food distribution and medical care to people in need at parks, continuing a regional battle over how cities should respond to homelessness in public spaces.
Lance Brace, founder of St. Herman’s Table, a ministry of Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church, said a Phoenix ordinance passed in early May and set to take effect June 5 criminalizes his evangelism and makes it impossible for him to provide food, water, Bibles and small hygiene products to unhoused people in city parks.
The ministry provides those items with the ultimate goal “to introduce Jesus Christ to the people it serves,” the complaint says.
But Phoenix’s new law makes it a misdemeanor for groups to host feeding and medical events in city parks without first securing a permit. The measure bans needle-exchange events and sets limits on where, how often and the types of food and health-related services that organizations can provide to the unhoused at city parks.
In a complaint filed in federal court June 2, Brace and the ministry said the rule violated their rights under the First Amendment and state law by creating an unconstitutional prior restraint on expression and treating religious activity differently than secular activity.
The filing points to the ordinance’s language targeting groups with “charitable or similar humanitarian proposes” but exempting from its permitting requirements “family events such as celebrations, weddings, meals, or reunions or informal gatherings of family or family friends.”
“The U.S. Supreme Court has declared, under the Free Exercise Clause, governments cannot treat secular activity more favorably than religious exercise,” the complaint says.
The lawsuit asks the court to temporarily restrain the city from enforcing the rule during litigation and ultimately declare the ordinance unconstitutional and prohibit Phoenix from enforcing it.
Brace told city officials before they passed the ordinance that it would “force people of conscience to choose between engaging with our faith and submitting to the law.”
At another meeting, he told them, “I am not here to argue against order, safety, or cleanliness in our parks. Those are legitimate concerns. But those concerns can be addressed without prohibiting or effectively prohibiting acts of charity.”
Phoenix spokeswoman Ashley Patton said the city “has received the lawsuit and intends to defend against it. We believe our ordinance is lawful.”
How should cities balance charity with concern about homelessness?
The lawsuit fuels an ongoing and contentious discussion about homelessness that has beleaguered multiple Valley cities: How should elected officials balance concerns about homelessness and safety in public spaces used by children alongside groups and individuals who want to engage in charity they believe is constitutionally protected?
In 2025, a group of residents sued Tempe for an ordinance that required permits for events with more than 30 people in a park. The residents believed the permit targeted their events, holding free picnics for unhoused people.
The picnics had provoked fierce backlash from nearby homeowners who claimed they brought about litter, fires, and disorder that endangered their community and harmed residents’ quality of life. But the plaintiffs argued the picnics were a charitable expression, and that Tempe’s ordinance was unconstitutional because it prevented or seriously burdened that expression.
The plaintiffs dropped the lawsuit after elected leaders rescinded the ordinance. However, the council again pivoted and, in ril, revived discussions about a new permit ordinance. City spokesperson Kris Baxter said the City Council likely would consider the measure in September.
If passed, the rule could bring another wave of litigation and community backlash. Before Tempe’s council rescinded its ordinance, the Phoenix branch of the Democratic Socialists of America had launched a referendum effort that garnered more than 4,500 signatures in a month. The referendum’s aim was to send the ordinance to residents for voter proval.
Why the ministry thinks its activity is protected
The plaintiffs in the Phoenix lawsuit say the ministry has befriended homeless individuals at Cave Creek Park, handing out food and Bibles and speaking about the Gospel. But under the ordinance, they say, they’re unsure how the city would view their activity and whether the permitting requirement would ply.
They believe a permit would be required because of the ministry’s charitable intent, but they note that the ordinance doesn’t define categories like “private events,” “informal gathering of family or friends” or “picnics.” That vagueness makes it hard to interpret and could pave way for discriminatory enforcement, they say.
The lawsuit claims that the church group’s food distribution is “expressive activity” that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of peals has protected under the First Amendment. They also say Phoenix’s permitting requirements are a “prior restraint on speech” and therefore must be viewpoint-neutral, actually advance a goal claimed by the city and “leave open ample alternatives for communication.”
While municipalities can enact time, place and manner restrictions, the lawsuit says since Phoenix’s ordinance exempts some groups and not others, it’s “not content neutral and is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.”
The complaint takes aim at the lack of peals process, broad discretion given to city officials and absence of “evidence to support the ordinance’s alleged interest.”
The lawsuit also claims “less restrictive means are available to address the city’s trash, litter, crowding, noise, and safety concerns.”
What hpens next with the lawsuit?
The city’s ordinance is set to take effect June 7, according to a city spokesperson. However, a judge will consider the plaintiffs’ emergency requests to prohibit the city from enforcing. A ruling likely will come shortly after June 8.
Before the Phoenix City Council passed the ordinance, Brace told elected officials, “The role of government is not to stand between a person and their duty to love their neighbor.”
“For two thousand years, the Church has fed the hungry as a core part of its life and witness. That practice will continue,” he said.
Reporters Shawn Raymundo and Lauren DeYoung contributed to this report.
Seely’s role is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

Last ril, Southwest Side residents celebrated the grand reopening of a Save A Lot, the last from a deal backed by $13.5 million in city money to renovate six of the discount grocery stores in food deserts.
The man behind the project was Joseph Canfield, CEO of Ohio-based Yellow Banana, heralded by fellow cofounders for his couple decades of grocery experience. Following the reopenings, he was tasked with leading the Chicago stores owned by Yellow Banana, and required to keep them open for at least 10 years.
But one year after that last store opened, Canfield died of a stroke on ril 10, Ohio’s Bureau of Vital Statistics confirmed. He was 54.
Yellow Banana hasn’t named a successor, and Save A Lot says they’re unaware of an interim CEO.
While the Save A Lot stores are still operating, Canfield’s sudden death has triggered a default in their redevelopment agreement with the city, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The default, or breaking of the legal agreement, means city officials could force the beleaguered company to pay back the millions it received to open stores in neighborhoods traditional grocers had abandoned. And the succession plan required in case of a key death has yet to be submitted to the city by Yellow Banana.
Save A Lot’s corporate team notified Chicago officials of Canfield’s death in late ril and then met with the city’s Department of Planning and Development to discuss next steps, department spokesman Peter Strazzabosco says in a statement.
He says Save A Lot has taken over store operations in the interim, though the company has no obligation to the city to keep the stores open. Through a licensing agreement, Yellow Banana utilizes Save A Lot’s name and supply chain to operate its own stores.
Yellow Banana’s legal trouble started soon after its 2021 inception, shrinking from 38 stores across five states to the six covered under the redevelopment agreement and a seventh in Englewood. Since the deal, Canfield was also personally hit with lawsuits, liens and foreclosures.
Yellow Banana cofounders Michael Nance, Walker Brumskine and Ademola Adewale-Sadik didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Lawsuits, liens and foreclosures
Yellow Banana was pitched to Chicagoans in 2022 as a Black-owned company that wanted to reinvest in Save A Lot locations that came with a reputation for dirty stores, a rat infestation and expired foods.
Canfield was often the only Yellow Banana executive who peared at community meetings and store openings. Emails reviewed by the Sun-Times show Canfield was the primary contact for the city.
He was also the founder of dozens of other businesses, including real estate and general contracting, records show.
He recently poured time into hosting his podcast, Salty Ginger Talk, that focused on self-help and the perils of big government, and publishing a daily newsletter.
His businesses faced many lawsuits, and properties were foreclosed on, including his Cleveland office currently up for a tax sale. His real estate companies have been accused of negligence, fraud and breach of contract.
Since 2021, Yellow Banana and Canfield have faced more than 20 lawsuits, liens and tax foreclosures totaling over $2.8 million, according to court records. The bulk of that was filed against Yellow Banana by contractors and vendors like PepsiCo and Frito Lay, alleging they hadn’t been paid for delivered goods and services.
At the same time, Canfield was fighting a lawsuit filed in Oregon by his stepsiblings accusing him of stealing valuable coins from his late stepfather’s estate with his mother’s help. According to the plaintiffs, he used the $238,500 he netted to buy Save A Lot stores and start Yellow Banana.
The day before Canfield died, a judge awarded the stepbrothers more than $342,000.
Canfield and Yellow Banana rarely responded to lawsuits. In many cases, the plaintiffs received default judgments, or the suit was dismissed.
Canfield had repeatedly refused to discuss the company’s legal and financial troubles.
We’re looking forward on things; we’re really not going to talk about things in the past, he told the Sun-Times in 2024. We don’t comment on any litigation. Any challenges we have with suppliers we are actively working through with them.
In 2024, Save A Lot stepped in to take the reins on many of Yellow Banana’s 38 locations, with the remaining stores outside of Chicago shuttering due to poor performance.
We’ve got a big commitment in Chicago, and we really need to be able to deliver what we said. … There’s public tax dollars there, Canfield said in September 2024. We take that commitment very, very seriously. So we went to Save A Lot and said, ‘Hey, for us to focus on this, we should figure out a partnership here that’s going to allow this to move forward.’
Save A Lot spokesperson Sarah Griffin said at the time that they are committed to the long-term success of licensed network of stores. Since then, they’ve helped financially support Yellow Banana stores, despite not pearing in the redevelopment agreement between Yellow Banana and the city.
On a case-by-case basis, Save A Lot will provide additional support to stores where there’s a demonstrated need, Griffin previously said.
After years of delays, Canfield asked the city for a six month extension to complete the stores. The last of the renovated stores reopened in ril 2025, although two stores didn’t meet key requirements of the deal and led to more than $50,000 in city penalties.
In July 2025, Canfield and Brumskine were sued by their law firm Roetzel & Andress, which represented Yellow Banana’s parent company 127 Wall Holdings. The firm accused the founders of $180,000 in unpaid bills and interest.
More recently, a Chicago branch of check cashing business Currency Exchange accused Canfield and Yellow Banana of bouncing a $232 check that pears to have been made to an employee, Cook County court records show.
Since the openings, the stores have continued to be cited for overgrown weeds and deceptive business practices by city enforcement.
A December spree of city inspections cited every Save A Lot store for deceptive practices, which included selling foods two months past its expiration date.
The stores were given violations for overcharging customers. City records show 51 products rang up higher than advertised.
At the West Garfield Park store,16 packages of turkey bacon advertised as $3.79 rang up at the register as $4.69. Milk-Bone dog biscuits at the Englewood location cost customers $3.99, double the advertised price of $2. Yogurt priced at $4.49 scanned as $5.59.
And during visits to Save A Lot locations this past week, expired products — like milk and eggs — could be seen on the shelves with many other products showing a same-day expiration date.
What comes next
Yellow Banana’s annual report filed to the Illinois Secretary of State on May 3 listed Canfield as the company’s only manager, three weeks after his death. Businesses are required to file an annual report with the state, confirming or updating company information, and pay required fees in order to maintain good standing.
His name is signed below a promise that managers confirm their existence, and that the document is true, correct and complete.
A Secretary of State spokesman says the company didn’t notify the office of Canfield’s death. The office is now reviewing the case.
No obituary for Canfield or social posts from family members could be found. His podcast’s LinkedIn page made a post advertising the skills of my producer James, nearly a month after Canfield’s death.
Canfield’s mother, Kathy Middleton, and wife, Sharin, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
A search of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, court records show no probate case has been opened, nor does Canfield’s name pear in the county’s online database of deaths.
Strazzabosco says following an executive’s death, Yellow Banana must promptly present a succession plan and relevant disclosures for review and proval.
Griffin, of Save A Lot, says Yellow Banana continues to be involved in store operations.
Management has been leaning in, investing additional funding and operational resources into the stores and the Yellow Banana organization to ensure these stores can continue to provide a full, fresh shopping experience across Chicago, Griffin says.
She’s not aware of a new CEO being pointed.
She didn’t respond to questions regarding which operations Yellow Banana is currently involved in. But she says Yellow Banana is still the owner and operator of the Chicago stores — and maintains responsibility for the stores.
According to the city agreement, Save A Lot is not legally bound to keep leaning in — or providing money to Yellow Banana.

When the fast-food revolution came to Rome, young people cheered, lining up outside McDonald’s in such numbers that security guards were brought in to manage the crowds. Local politicians complained about the traffic and the degradation of the Piazza di Spagna, where the Golden Arches went up. And the fashion designer Valentino, who worked around the corner, grew so frustrated by the noise and smell that he took legal action, arguing that the city’s first McDonald’s was such a nuisance it needed to be closed, pronto.

Throughout the United States, high cholesterol is a common issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two in five American adults deal with the condition, putting them at increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates in your blood. It isn’t necessarily dangerous on its own ― we need cholesterol to help us build cells and make hormones. But too much of it can cause problems. Excess cholesterol in the blood, for example, is the main factor in the creation of atherosclerosis, said Dr. Eleonora Avenatti, a preventive cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, which is the build-up of junk inside your vessels.
If you think about your vessel as pipes that have to bring blood to your internal organs — your heart, your brain, your kidneys — over time, [cholesterol] can create junk inside those pipes so that the blood flow is not as good as it should be. Then that can create situations such as heart attacks and strokes and kidney dysfunction, Avenatti said.
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Your cholesterol is measured via a blood test (known as a lipid panel), which is ordered by your doctor. If your cholesterol is high, you may be prescribed medication or lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise.
One of the most natural changes starts with food. Experts say certain foods can impact your cholesterol levels, putting you at risk for the adverse events mentioned above.
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Below, experts share the foods you should avoid if you have high cholesterol, plus share some factors that may be even more important than the food you eat.
Full-fat dairy
Full-fat dairy is high in saturated fat, which is not good for your LDL, which is often referred to as the bad cholesterol.
Saturated fat can actually decrease your body’s ability to clear out … the bad cholesterol, explained Beth Auguste, a registered dietician in Philadelphia and owner of Be Well with Beth. Your bad cholesterol goes to your liver to get cleaned up and that’s how you remove some of the cholesterol in your body. That saturated fat impacts your liver because it makes it so that you can’t break down the bad cholesterol as much.
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Dairy does have some health benefits, so you can reduce this particular issue by incorporating lower-fat dairy products into your diet where possible.
Additionally, Auguste said you can add healthy, unsaturated fats to your fat-free dairy products by topping things like fat-free yogurt or cottage cheese with almonds or chia seeds. That gives you the healthy fat to go along with the dairy protein, Auguste said.
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Red meat
You likely know that red meat ― such as beef, pork or lamb ― is not great for folks with high cholesterol. Why? Red meat is high in saturated fat, which, as mentioned above, makes it hard for your body to break down cholesterol, Auguste said.
This doesn’t mean you should never, ever eat red meat, but those with high cholesterol should thoughtfully consider their intake.
Honestly, in general, you should be using your meat more as the garnish with the meals and then having beans as another way of getting protein, having high-protein grains, like quinoa or lentils … as a way of supplementing the protein and the iron and the fiber in your meal, Auguste said.
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Skin on meat
Saturated fat is also high in meat skins, according to Auguste. This goes for the skin of all meat, whether it’s chicken skin, turkey skin, pork rind (pig skin) or something else, she noted.
Opt for lean sources of protein such as poultry without the skin, fish, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) and tofu. These protein sources are lower in saturated fat and can help maintain muscle mass while promoting heart health, Routhenstein said.
What’s more, Auguste noted, it’s important to look for skinless ground meats as well.
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Highly processed foods
What we’ve been learning more and more is that staying away from processed food is probably the best way to go, Avenatti said.
While many foods are processed in some form, minimally processed foods (like packaged salads and bagged dry beans) are not the culprit here. Instead, highly processed foods, such as smoked sausage and chips, should give you pause.
They are usually also high in unhealthy fats and salt and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals, which is a detrimental combination from a cardiovascular health standpoint, according to Avenatti.
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If my patients are craving that meaty feeling, please go for the steak by all means. But something that is so processed, like a sausage, that really doesn’t have any more [of] that nutritional balance that was present in the primordial meat, that is something you should probably stay away from, Avenatti said.
For these reasons, a diet rich in ultra-processed foods is recommended against by all major [cardiovascular] societies that recommend instead a ‘whole food’ proach, she noted.
Fried foods
Similarly, fried foods are a good thing to avoid if you have high cholesterol, according to Routhenstein. Fried foods can also contain trans fats, which can increase your bad cholesterol levels, along with your overall risk of heart disease.
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This includes both sweet and non-sweet fried foods, like fried chicken, doughnuts and french fries, according to the Mayo Clinic. To determine if the food you’re eating contains trans fats, look for partially hydrogenated oils listed on the ingredients label.
Other ways you can prioritize your heart health
I would be hpy if I could tell you that it all depends on the food we eat, Avenatti said. But, unfortunately, that is really not the case … the food we eat contains cholesterol, but the majority of the cholesterol is running in our blood, and it’s … actually produced by our own body.
The variability from one person to another depends more on genetics and how our body deals with cholesterol than dietary choices, Avenatti explained.
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We like to talk more about patterns just because no food is absolutely damaging. I think eating in moderation … is still the key, she said.
What you eat the majority of the time is more important than a one-off burger or steak. Additionally, as long as you aren’t eating a diet that’s only fried food and processed food, you likely are OK.
[One-off food choices are] really less impactful than what people think as long as you remain within a reasonable diet, she said.
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But for people with high triglycerides, dietary choices are extra important. According to Avenatti, high triglycerides, which are also measured when your cholesterol is checked, are more connected to the food that you eat.
Processed food, fried food, butter, any sort of shortening, full-fat dairy, cheeses ― those are all things that are going to impact for sure your triglyceride levels, and that we see a lot more being directly impacted by diet, she said.
High triglycerides can also be impacted by refined carbohydrates, Auguste added. So, if you’re eating a lot of white bread, white pasta, crackers that have no fiber in them, you want to think about how to add fiber when you’re eating because that’s going to help you not have high triglycerides.
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This could mean mixing white beans in with your pasta or switching to a chickpea pasta or lentil pasta, Auguste added.
For some people, medication may also be necessary to lower cholesterol. As mentioned, genetics play a major role in your cholesterol levels, and altering your diet can only do so much
While many folks complain about the side effects of cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins, Avenatti stressed that there are other medical options out there. If you’ve been prescribed a medication for high cholesterol and either don’t take it or don’t like its effects, Avenatti said you should go to your doctor and ask why they prescribed the medication they did and inquire about alternatives.
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The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.

For Angela Val, experiencing the charms of Philadelphia is far more than just a personal pastime. It’s part of her job.
President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, the nonprofit that serves as the city’s official leisure-tourism marketing agency, it falls to Val to sell the city’s many allures to the wider world. Especially this year, as Philadelphia prepares to ascend the global stage for America’s 250th anniversary.
It’s exciting for it to be here, said Val, who has led Visit Philadelphia since 2022, after a prior 17-year stint at the agency, when she worked her way from a receptionist to vice president. I have been preparing for this year with lots of different people, and to see it come to fruition — to be in the implementation stage — is really thrilling.
A native of Rockville, MD, Val fell in love with Philly’s rising potential after earning a degree in hospitality management from Drexel University in 1994.
Starting out working hotel front desk and catering jobs, Val first joined Visit Philadelphia in 1998, amid Center City’s long awaited renaissance.
I just felt like I was going to be part of a city that’s going to have a great deal of growth over the next 10 years, she said.
Now, Val helps spearhead that growth.
For the 250th, Visit Philadelphia has rolled out a series of marketing campaigns and events, including TED Democracy, a daylong symposium of broadcast TED talks exploring modern day democracy scheduled for June 13 at the Kimmel Center.
Val, who lives in Point Breeze with her husband, and her dogs, Dash and Bailey, who are Mi-Kis, said her Perfect Philly Day would include a rooftop sunset, a killer workout, sweets before dinner, lots of great Philly food, and some late-night hanging with neighbors.
7 a.m.
We always start off with my dogs. We have two puppies. They’re about a year old. I take them to the deck to run around very early in the morning. We have a skyline view. We took all of our COVID refund and renovated the deck. I do like to sit on the deck with a cup of tea. The Random Tea Room sells a great loose mint tea that I love.
I usually go back to bed. I am not a morning person. I am somebody who likes to hit the snooze button. So I’ll do that — just chill out in bed a little bit longer and catch the news.
9 a.m.
I usually head to the gym. I have a trainer. I belong to the Bellevue Sporting Club. I am all about strength training these days. As you get older, the doctor recommends less cardio, more strength. I had never really lifted weights before. Thus, I got a trainer, and I have to say, I do love it. Emily’s fantastic. I usually try to get that in two or three times a week, if possible. It always makes me feel better.
11 a.m.
I get a good walk there and a good walk back. I’m pretty ravenous afterward. Joe and I will usually meet up at Enswell. It’s just so pretty in there. They have this awesome egg sandwich — it’s so buttery and delicious. If that’s not available, I get the omelet, which is also delicious. Always with a side salad..
1 p.m.
In the afternoon, we just pick an activity to do. I love to walk so we usually walk some place — go see some exhibit or gallery. If this is a day in 2026, I’m going to want to check out The Declaration’s Journey at the Museum of the American Revolution. They have rare copies of the Declaration of Independence but also an advanced copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech I have a dream. And the bench on which he wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
And [I’d go to] Calder Gardens. It’s small, but so different for Philly. It’s so modern and beautiful.
4 p.m.
[Then I’m] headed to The Bread Room — from High Street Hospitality and Ellen Yin — to get a couple sweet treats. And I would love to be able to take one of the baking classes there. They have this scone with orange blossom frosting. It is delicious. They also have a chocolate chip cookie that has a little bit of sea salt on the top, which I also think is delicious. And it’s a big boy, so you can share it, and not have to eat the whole thing, like I do.
6 p.m.
We would honestly come home and take a n and play with the dogs. But we would definitely go back out.
8 p.m.
We do eat out a lot. It’s just the two of us. We would go to Sao. That is one of the places that I would love to try. We’ve been to Mawn many times and it’s delicious. But we heard Sao was really great too. Fresh seafood. I am a seafood lover. I don’t eat meat regularly. For me to find a great seafood place, especially one that’s close by, I’m in.
We go to Alice a lot. I like their artichoke salad there. We like to sit at the bar there at the very end. Also American Sardine Bar, which is right down the street from our house. I eat so often downtown during the week because of work. So I try really hard on the weekends to hit neighborhood spots. I don’t eat sardines. But what I wish they would bring back is their fried bologna sandwich. I will tell you that at two o’clock in the morning, if you’ve had a few drinks, it’s delicious. Always a cocktail. I’m old school. I’m always going to love the Cosmo (very light pink, not too sweet.) But I was also recently introduced to the Per Plane. It seems just like a Cosmopolitan, but it has a whiskey base. It’s not too sweet.
11 p.m.
A perfect end is actually going next door to see our neighbors. We’re very good friends. And they have a beautiful patio with a Pergola up top, so we’d just hang around with them around the fire pit and listen to records. The soundtrack is probably Leon Bridges. That’s a perfect night.