New Deal Meal provides Tempe residents in need with food at Moeur Park, despite continued warnings from Tempe police
Feb. 5, 2025
TEMPE – New Deal Meal hosted its weekly Sunday event for “housed, unstably housed, and unhoused” people at Moeur Park, which was briefly halted by police reiterating to organizers they require a special events permit.
New Deal Meal serves dozens of people each week and offers clothes, blankets, pet food and reusable containers for attendees to take additional meals. The club has faced weekly opposition from Tempe, including a misdemeanor citation for the group’s founder, Ron Tapscott, on Jan. 26. The citation was for the group’s continued violation of Tempe’s special event ordinance, which requires a permit for “activities that are open to the public” on city-owned properties.
Organizers of New Deal Meal argue they are a private club and should not require a special event permit.
Tempe responded to the group in a statement on Jan. 26, after Tapscott received his citation. The city said “events in this location have resulted in unsafe conditions, trash and items left behind in the park, and environmental impacts.” Tempe had previously warned the group they needed to acquire a permit according to City Code 5-2, which could take up to 60 days.
New Deal Meal members Dave Wells and the Rev. Dr. Tom Martinez have both received warnings from the city at two different New Deal Meal events. Martinez received the most recent warning from Tempe police Sgt. Kathie Click on Sunday.
“If we have to come back out, you’re the one taking responsibility,” Click said to Martinez when delivering the official warning.
Martinez said he told members of New Deal Meal prior to the event he was willing to take the expected warning or citation.
“I’m holding out hope that we might figure something out in terms of allowing people to provide food to folks who need it without legal repercussions,” Martinez said.
Martinez said he and other faith leaders met with the city on Monday, but New Deal Meal organizers said there was no clear resolution. He and Wells said they will continue to do the work of New Deal Meal despite possible citations in the future.
Wells said in an Arizona Republic op-ed he will continue to feed people because it fulfills his Quaker values, and he has formed personal connections with those the club serves.
“One of the key things that happens is that here, people are actually recognized as people,” Wells said in an interview. “We’re doing a lot of things that are really helpful, and for me personally, it’s just great to actually interact with and meet (people).”
Wells cooked one of dozens of dishes for the club’s event on Sunday.
Hoyt Crane Espinoza, who goes by H, has turned to New Deal Meal following the arrest of Austin Davis with AZ Hugs. AZ Hugs set the trend of weekly events to provide resources to unhoused people in Tempe parks.
“Austin and AZ Hugs saved my life,” Espinoza said. “I called Austin and AZ Hugs up, and I said ‘Hey, guys, I need some help.’”
Davis helped when Espinoza got out of prison after serving five years on a weapons charge. Espinoza said Davis has been with him during his sobriety.
“They save people constantly, and I’m out here to support them,” Espinoza said about New Deal Meal at the Sunday event.
Davis has been banned from Tempe parks until 2026 following a plea deal for holding multiple community events without a special events permit.
“City Hall is gentrifying the city of Tempe, and we’ve seen this happen before numerous times throughout history,” Davis said. “Those at the bottom of the city always face the harshest realities first, and that’s what we’ve been seeing over the last year, year and a half.”
Though the club says the city isn’t doing enough, Tempe reaffirmed it wants to help unsheltered residents but in a lawful way.
“The City will continue to make helping our unsheltered residents a top priority,” the statement said. “At the same time, we will keep working to keep Tempe’s public spaces and parks safe, to ensure that all our residents can enjoy the amenities funded by their tax dollars and to make sure nearby neighborhoods aren’t unreasonably impacted by park events.”
Tapscott went before a judge at Tempe Municipal Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty before a pretrial conference at a later date. Tapscott said he is hopeful his case has a different outcome from Davis’ case.
“We would hope that the city would come to the awareness that what we’re doing is very humane and moral, and the city’s conduct is not that,” Tapscott said. “The best approach by the city would be to not be prosecuting and persecuting us – (it) would be to collaborate with us and work with us and try to serve the population that is in need.”