Here are the highlights of where we are at now:

- Magdalene is raising money to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Polk County Sheriff's Office due to an incident that occurred Jun 23rd, 2026 (This details of that are below this section). Civil rights lawsuits are especially expensive in this county because of corruption and because many people are simultaneously infatuated with and afraid of the Sheriff.

- Our group (which Magdalene leads) has been doing an unhoused outreach ministry in rural Polk County on private property with the permission of the property owner. One day deputies stalked the ministry group and decided that the best way to investigate would be to violently assault the ministry group with no probable cause. Deputies used excessive force on Magdalene, injured her, arrested her, searched her without consent, and held her for interrogation to make her testify against her fellow volunteers. The ministry turned out to be real. Deputies were so sad. What they believed were drug kingpins hiding drugs in toilet paper turned to just be church ladies. The toilet paper was real toilet paper.

- Magdalene was released with no charges, but do you know what she did have?!? INJURIES. Which means medical bills. She ended up in the emergency room and needs ongoing medical attention due to the injuries and trauma she suffered while under arrest.

-Internal Affairs has so far declined to investigate. Local mainstream outlets have been forbidden from covering the story. County Commissioners have been contacted and have not responded.

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(español abajo) Update - On Tuesday, Jun 23rd, 2026 at 6:50 pm, two volunteers with our unhoused hospitality ministry were pulled over and then brutally attacked by Polk County Sheriff's Office (county police) after giving food to the homeless and distributing supplies. They were stopped as soon as they turned out of the homestead.

Magdalene was a passenger in the car, with Kimberly driving. Magdalene filmed the encounter.

- The ladies requested the reason for the stop. The deputies declined to give a reason.

- The ladies declined a search and asked for any tickets to be placed under the windshield wipers.

- Kimberly offered license, registration, and insurance to the first deputy that pulled them over.

- The ladies requested a lawyer, and deputies declined to provide one.

- Magdalene was asked to exit the vehicle and then attacked by at least 5 officers.

-The deputies did not wear body cams, and they disabled her camera phone.

- Magdalene asked to make a phone call, and the deputies declined.

-Magdalene informed deputies she had been injured in their use of force. Medical attention was denied.

- Both ladies were kept in restraints handcuffed behind their back while detained. Kimberly was later transferred to the jail where she was kept in restraints over 6 hours.

- Magdalene was interrogated at the scene while in restraints and actively informing the Sargent leading the interrogation that she was in pain.

- Deputies did not provide a lawyer during interrogation.

- Deputies gave Magdalene her phone and ordered her to share the video evidence she had gathered during the stop.

- Magdalene requested to make a phone call to notify her family and friends where she was and to make contact with her lawyer.

- Supervising Sargeant on the scene ordered her to unlock her phone and show him the video. He stated that if she tried to use her phone to contact anyone, no matter who, then they would have a "misunderstanding" and it would "go very poorly for you."

- Deputies performed a drug search on personal belongings anyway without consent and despite being explicitly told the ladies declined a search.

- The supervising sergeant determined there was insufficient evidence to continue detaining Magdalene. The sergeant said she would not be charged, however he said she would only be free to go if she provided a copy of the evidence to the deputies first.

-Magdalene sustained injuries, but was released from the scene without charges. She had been restrained for 90 minutes.

- No reason was ever given for her arrest.

- She was told the probable cause was that she was seen giving food and first aid supplies to an unhoused community on private property.

- The driver, Kimberly, was charged with obstruction and told after the fact that the original reason for the stop was failure to stop at a stop line. The road they were turning from does not have a painted stopline.

- As of July 5th, we had successfully raised enough to cover Kimberly's retainer.

-The fundraiser is continuing to cover Magdalene's medical costs and the legal fees so that we may file a civil rights case in federal court against the Polk County Sheriff's Office. We need an additional $10,000 to cover the fees associated with this process.

We are asking for donations to support legal fees. We are still going to put a small portion (like $100) towards bringing a dumpster to the proposal owner since we were almost close to bring the July dumpster.

View press release from our organization here: https://blog.blessedbyliberty.org/?post=media-advisory-2-dobl-volunteers-brutalized-after-feeding-the-homeless#blog

Video: https://youtu.be/sxaTkhJ_WtY

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Actualización – El martes 23 de junio de 2026, a las 6:50 p. m., dos voluntarias de nuestro ministerio de hospitalidad para personas sin hogar fueron detenidas por agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Polk y posteriormente agredidas brutalmente después de entregar comida y distribuir suministros a personas sin hogar. Fueron detenidas apenas salieron del terreno.

Magdalene iba como pasajera en el vehículo, mientras Kimberly conducía. Magdalene grabó el encuentro.

Las voluntarias solicitaron que se les informara el motivo de la detención. Los agentes se negaron a dar una explicación.

Las voluntarias rechazaron una inspección del vehículo y pidieron que cualquier multa fuera colocada bajo los limpiaparabrisas.

Kimberly ofreció su licencia de conducir, el registro del vehículo y el comprobante de seguro al primer agente que las detuvo.

Las voluntarias solicitaron un abogado, y los agentes se negaron a proporcionarles acceso a uno.

A Magdalene se le ordenó bajar del vehículo y luego fue atacada por al menos cinco agentes.

Los agentes no llevaban cámaras corporales y desactivaron el teléfono con el que Magdalene estaba grabando.

Magdalene pidió hacer una llamada telefónica, y los agentes se lo negaron.

Magdalene informó a los agentes que había resultado lesionada debido al uso de la fuerza. Se le negó atención médica.

Ambas voluntarias permanecieron esposadas con las manos detrás de la espalda durante su detención. Posteriormente, Kimberly fue trasladada a la cárcel, donde permaneció esposada por más de seis horas.

Magdalene fue interrogada en el lugar mientras permanecía esposada y le informaba activamente al sargento a cargo del interrogatorio que sentía dolor.

Los agentes no le proporcionaron un abogado durante el interrogatorio.

Los agentes le devolvieron su teléfono a Magdalene y le ordenaron compartir el video que había grabado durante la detención.

Magdalene solicitó hacer una llamada para informar a su familia y amistades dónde se encontraba y comunicarse con su abogado.

El sargento supervisor presente en la escena le ordenó desbloquear su teléfono y mostrarle el video. Le dijo que, si intentaba usar su teléfono para comunicarse con cualquier persona, sin importar quién fuera, tendrían un "malentendido" y que "las cosas te irían muy mal".

A pesar de que las voluntarias habían rechazado expresamente cualquier inspección, los agentes registraron sus pertenencias personales en busca de drogas sin su consentimiento.

El sargento supervisor determinó que no existían pruebas suficientes para continuar reteniendo a Magdalene. Le informó que no se presentarían cargos en su contra; sin embargo, también le dijo que solo podría quedar en libertad si antes entregaba una copia del video a los agentes.

Magdalene sufrió lesiones, pero fue liberada en el lugar sin cargos después de permanecer esposada durante aproximadamente 90 minutos.

Nunca se le informó el motivo de su arresto.

Se le dijo que la causa probable era que había sido vista entregando comida y suministros de primeros auxilios a una comunidad de personas sin hogar en una propiedad privada.

La conductora, Kimberly, fue acusada de obstrucción y posteriormente se le informó que el motivo original de la detención había sido no detenerse en una línea de alto. Sin embargo, la calle desde la que giraban no tiene una línea de alto pintada.

Hasta el 5 de julio, habíamos logrado recaudar lo suficiente para cubrir el anticipo de los honorarios legales de Kimberly.

La recaudación de fondos continúa para cubrir los gastos médicos de Magdalene y los honorarios legales necesarios para presentar una demanda federal por violaciones de derechos civiles contra la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Polk. Necesitamos recaudar $10,000 adicionales para cubrir los costos asociados con este proceso.

Estamos solicitando donaciones para ayudar a cubrir los gastos legales. También destinaremos una pequeña parte de los fondos (aproximadamente $100) para llevar un contenedor de basura al propietario del terreno, ya que estuvimos muy cerca de poder cubrir el contenedor correspondiente al mes de julio.

Comunicado de prensa de nuestra organización:

https://blog.blessedbyliberty.org/?post=media-advisory-2-dobl-volunteers-brutalized-after-feeding-the-homeless#blog

Video:

https://youtu.be/sxaTkhJ_WtY

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Help Bring Hospitality to Virgil’s Village.

Blessed by Liberty is proud to support Virgil’s Village—an off-grid homestead in Lakeland, led by Virgil Robinson, where formerly unhoused neighbors are creating a community grounded in care, mutual aid, and the pursuit of self-sufficiency.

Our current goals

To bring another dumpster to the community by July

To continue a Porta-Potty rental for another 6 months (through January 2026

To support an electrical infrastructure project on the property (more details on this coming soon in the updates)

Without an effective way to manage waste and sanitation, daily survival is a struggle. With your support, Virgil’s Village can begin to move toward stability, health, and long-term sustainability.

We previously raised $900 that went towards a 6-month porta-potty rental and a basic well set up. We also raised $576 to rent a haul-off dumpster for 10 days.

We're seeking another $1500 to redo and continue these two projects.

Volunteers are undertaking a project to update the electrical infrastructure and reconnect the property to the electrical grid. They have the necessary permits, but they need assistance with sourcing supplies. We would like to contribute $500 towards that if possible by July.

Virgil’s Village is not a temporary camp; it’s a vision of neighbors helping neighbors during a tough patch. With support and friendship from the community, it can grow into a model of what’s possible when people come together to live differently with dignity.

We’re seeking to connect residents with resources for veterinary care for the animals living on the property.

We also accept donations of non-slip work shoes, hygiene products, and camping supplies for residents.

Every dollar goes directly to the people building this future—no overhead, no red tape. Just direct support, community power, and radical hope. (There are government-funded programs that already do outreach to this community with resources, our goal is to fill in the gap with rapid-response hospitality and supplies.)

Help build the Village.

For more information about D.O.B.L.'s mission of hospitality or for volunteer opportunities, please see blessedbyliberty.org.