I can understand requiring some payment to the program out of work checks ~ but taking it all, and lining the pockets of this alleged "theologian" [who sounds to me like a predator], sends the wrong message to the residents/workers and to the public ~ I'm betting this is NOT legal ~ Sooz

Christian-based Tampa homeless program forces destitute to work for free
Tom Boggioni | 30 Nov 2014 at 21:55 ET

A Christian-based Florida homeless program catering to recovering alcoholics and drug addicts has been accused of providing work crews to businesses and local events, then keeping their pay without them ever seeing it in exchange for room and board.

In an investigation conducted by the Tampa Bay Times, New Beginnings CEO Tom Atchison is accused of exploiting residents staying in his residences by farming them out as unpaid labor, including working concessions at Tampa Bay Rays, Lightning, and Bucs games, the Daytona 500 and the Florida State Fair.

Workers who put in a day of work are unaware of how much they are being paid for their labor since their paychecks go straight to Atchison and the shelter.

Atchison, who claims to have a doctorate in theology he earned from a now defunct online school, is currently applying to run Hillsborough County’s new homeless shelter with a contract worth millions of public dollars.

For residents who are able to pay, New Beginnings charges $150 a week, or $600 a month, which covers rent and three meals per day.

The program’s CEO calls the labor “work therapy,” but advocates for the homeless and labor lawyers say it is exploitative, calling it “indentured servitude.”

Atchison defended sending residents out in work crews, saying, “Because of what we do at those games, we can afford to take guys off the street who have nothing and give them the opportunity to work and get their lives back together. We take the guys no one else does.”

Former employees and residents of New Beginnings dispute that, saying Atchison is more concerned with the financial future of his program than with providing genuine help.

“It needs to stop,” said Lee Hoffman, a former New Beginnings resident and minister. “There are a bunch of homeless people who are being exploited.”

Labor lawyers say companies may compensate employees with shelter and food but need to document hours worked and the value of the housing and meals provided in order to ensure workers earn at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

According to Atchison, New Beginnings does not keep track of hours worked.

“This is outrageous,” said Catherine Ruckelshaus, general counsel for the National Employment Law Project. “These workers are doing a job. They need to be treated with dignity.”

According to former residents and staff, Atkinson also takes residents’ Social Security checks and food stamps, even if they amount to more than residents owe in program costs.

“He would say, ‘They’re drug addicts, they’re alcoholics, they’re just going to spend it on cigarettes and booze,’ ” said Hoffman. “The only way they get any of it is if they complain hard enough.”

Former employee Victoria Denton said, “If a check comes in, it doesn’t matter if it’s your name, my name, or Timbuktu’s name, it’s going in his (Atchison’s) name.”

“People who are homeless are desperate,” said Nan Roman, president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “It’s not an equal, typical relationship between a landlord and a tenant. … It should err on the side of protecting the homeless people who are more vulnerable in the relationship, and making sure their rights are preserved.”

Watch video of Atchison explaining his homeless program below, uploaded to YouTube by FSNTV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXY7M1YtM3I
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/christian-based-tampa-homeless-program-forces-destitute-to-work-for-free/

What's next, paedophilia for food?

If I remember correctly, this sort of crap has been done by others. A "regular" person recruits homeless and/or disabled people to live in a home (virtual prisoners) and then takes all of their SSDI and other funds, while making them live in squalor and barely feeding them. I don't think I remember one that involved using them out for labor, but I'll bet that has happened too.

The people who have done that have been charged with something. Can't remember what. Possibly fraud, endangerment etc. There was one couple recently, but I can't find the article. Will search.

How can the homeless possibly get on their feet if all their earnings go to the "landlord? One can still rent an apartment for 450/month and get by. The businesses that participate are complicit with the "landlords".

It's deliberate. They're predators.

His "churches" cough, cough, are amassing one property after the other, of course his scheme is property tax free. His, ahem, the churches' court documents are interesting. As of August 2014 there's one property, owned by 3 of his churches, up for foreclosure. He owes 900,000.00 plus on that one. Lots of judgements and other records.
He's very interested in tax free donations from his pentecostal/baptist christian brethren and sisters at the moment.
He isn't doing all this compassionate samariterdom for free, you heathens!

This program sounds shady. Sounds like they are collecting more than enough revenue to operate and staff their programs. Each person they serve is supposed to have an individual account that their money is deposited into, and their expenses are drawn from.There are big penalties for not following that protocol with ssi, ssdi, other federal benefits. But programs get away with inflating the expenses for their staffing and for the food and utilities.

But maybe the businesses aren't complicit predators.

The large sports and concert venues around here use volunteers for their concessions and other event day jobs as well. It works like this- a non profit gets a donation of x dollars per person it supplies. Some venues even increase the donation if the non profits exceed certain revenues. The people who do the work are volunteers, raising money for the non profits. There are no payroll taxes or worker's comp for volunteers. It helps large venues like NFL games get enough people to work the 8 days a year (plus pre/post season) that they operate.Some of the volunteers are parents of kids in youth sports programs that raise a tax free donation to their team by working at one of these events. Some of the volunteers are special needs people in work training/residential programs. Some of the volunteers are even raising money for their college. If you volunteer for Major League Baseball, you can raise thousands of dollars a year for your charity.

Kinda like the "internship" scam.

I like the sports and concert venues program you describe "there", queenie ~ it sounds like it's win/win ~ I have no clue how that is handled here ~

Sooz

I would bet money that the Bears and Cubs and Sox do it and maybe the Blackhawks.