Missouri woman defies health department orders to serve free community breakfasts

Kathy Kite, a grandmother from Harrisburg, Missouri, is refusing to stop serving free homemade breakfasts to her neighbors despite receiving a warning from local health officials. Kite began the practice in May to support community members after a local gas station ceased breakfast service following the COVID-19 pandemic. She currently serves approximately 25 people daily.

In July, the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department sent Kite a letter stating she must obtain a food permit or face potential legal action, including fines and possible jail time. The department offered a path to compliance by installing a commercial kitchen in her home, a requirement Kite has rejected to protect the integrity of her 115-year-old residence. While the health department denied that their letter threatened jail time, Kite maintains that the warning was intimidating.

The Goldwater Institute, a conservative public policy think tank, has intervened to support Kite and has threatened legal action against the regional administration.