OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A picture is worth a thousand words, and this one posted on Gulliver’s World Goods Facebook page creates controversy.
“I couldn’t believe anyone in our community would publicly post a sign saying ‘Don’t feed the animals, don’t feed the homeless’. They are our siblings,” said Lisa Clark, who saw the post.
The sign is nowhere to be found. Disappeared as soon as it came. But the image is shared online over and over again.
“It was very upsetting for me as I was a single mom for 16 years,” said Lisa. I was almost homeless so many times. “
Gulliver’s World Goods Manager, Matt, claims he was even homeless for a while and says he has no idea who would have hung the sign outside the store.
“That’s not me, that’s not the property here,” said Matt. We are compassionate people. Like I said, we housed, dressed, fed, used one here when we first got to the place. Do odd jobs, paint, that sort of thing. Obviously, that’s not how we feel about their plight. “
But in a post on Gulliver’s Facebook page, the store says it was an “extremely bad judgment choice an employee made” and that the employee was fired.
However, one of Gulliver’s co-owners, Chaz Kline, contradicts that. In a phone call, Kline says no one has been fired, they investigate and take full responsibility for what has been posted on their property. Clark hopes people will use this as a time to reflect and help those in need.
“Nothing about homelessness is funny,” said Lisa. And I really want to appeal to everyone during this pandemic and especially during this time in our society. We have to be nice to each other. “
According to other social media posts, the company next door had put the same sign in their window. Multiple calls and a message to management have not been answered.
Here’s a new sign posted at Gulliver.
Copyright 2021 WOWT. All rights reserved.