Missouri Grandmother Challenges Health Department Over Free Breakfasts

A grandmother in Missouri is determined to continue her tradition of serving free homemade breakfasts despite warnings from county health officials about needing a permit. Kathy Kite of Harrisburg insists she will not stop, as these meals bring her community together.

“I’m not gonna stop providing for my community,” said Kite. “I wouldn’t stop feeding my children, I wouldn’t stop feeding my family. This is about love and appreciation because they appreciate what I do.”

Kite has been serving free breakfasts to her neighbors since May. In July, the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department informed her that she needed a food permit to continue this tradition or face potential legal action.

“I got the letter in July, and it upset me because I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong,” Kite explained. “I feared fines and jail time and shared the letter on Facebook, where I received support from the community.”

Despite this, the health department clarified that their letter did not mention jail time. They stressed their responsibility lies in ensuring safe food practices.

Kite’s breakfast tradition started after the local gas station, where she worked, halted serving breakfast due to COVID. She then invited her friends and regular customers to her home for meals, expanding the initiative when more residents joined in. Soon, local mothers began bringing their children for breakfast before school.

The health department’s letter mandated Kite to install a commercial kitchen, which she claims would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her home, over 100 years old, is not suitable for such renovation, she says.

“Come have a burrito,” Kite offered to city officials. “I’m not doing anything wrong. My home is clean, and I’m simply providing meals for friends and family.”

The Goldwater Institute has stepped in, demanding answers from the Boone County health department. They argue that no one should need government permission to offer food as an act of kindness.

A representative from the health department explained that Kite’s setup, with signage and advertisements, resembled a food establishment, thus requiring a permit. They emphasized their role in preventing food-borne illnesses and stated there are approved methods for providing homemade food without a permit.