Melbourne Food Not Bombs

Food Not Bombs Info Sheet

Retrieved on January 1, 2005 from www.cat.org.au

Every week in and around _____ there are ___/a huge number of people seeking food relief, yet these people shouldn’t have to be struggling for food when there are vast amounts of food being thrown out by markets, bakeries, supermarkets, greengrocers, etc. Why can’t the food be redistributed to those in need? All it takes is a few individuals to band together to collect the food and redistribute it to schools, hostels, refuges, etc. or set up food kitchens in your area.

Food Not Bombs/orgname has proved that it can be done. It is absurd that in a so-called affluent society, people should be starving. Why? Government, society and the corporate world don’t consider those below the poverty line important enough, because they don’t have money to spend — to keep the greedy few financially happy. Being human and alive is more valuable than money.) So help us and your society to make this a better world by getting food to where it should be. Food is a right — not a privilege.

Food Not Bombs ______ / orgname

What We Do

( Fill in with general kitchens / support efforts that the org. is involved with.)

“So where do they get all that money to buy food?” I hear you ask. Actually, most of the food that Food Not Bombs/orgname uses is actually salvaged from fruit and vegetable traders and wholesalers. Food that would otherwise be thrown out is picked up by the Food Not Bombs/orgname collective and redistributed at no cost.

The fact of the matter is that in a world which is fuelled by money and greed, food will always be wasted. Massive reserves of food are stored and guarded while people starve. A lot of food is also dumped or destroyed. Why? Because those in power want to maintain the ridiculously high prices people pay for food in order to line their pockets with more money. After all, food grows on trees doesn’t it? Food Not Bombs/orgname also picks up bread from bakeries. If you know of any fruit or vegetable shops, bakeries wholefoods shops etc that are looking for someone to take their surplus or day old produce, please mention us.

Another aspect of Food Not Bombs/orgname is to deliver bread and day old fruit and vegetables (which is still OK to eat) to various organisations around ______. Food Not Bombs/orgname currently or has in the past worked with the following groups: __________________________________________________________________

Food Not Bombs also delivers food to individuals in need. Boxes of free fruit, vegetables and bread usually accompany each food kitchen. Another aspect of Food Not Bombs/orgname that sets it apart from charities is its commitment to involvement in Social Justice issues (as opposed to ‘feel good’ diversions). Food Not Bombs/orgname has supported a number of community events. Some include: ___________(This is an eg of re-iteration of aims)_______

As its name suggests. Food Not Bombs is opposed to militarism and wars; and the whole mentality which means that more money is spent on military/army spending each week than would be needed to feed all those who don’t have enough to eat in the world for an entire year. Why do we allow our governments to get away with spending the proceeds of our labour in this way?

How to Start Up Your Own Food Not Bombs

If you wish to start a Food Not Bombs/orgname, or contribute to an existing one, then read on.

Firstly, if you wish to know more about Food Not Bombs you can do so by writing to us requesting information. We can be contacted at __________________________________.

You can also talk to us directly during our food kitchen nights. We won’t bite!

If you know of a local fruit and vegetable grocer or market in your area that is willing to give you their left-overs and throwaways on a weekly basis then you are off to a flying start. Alternatively, you can get in contact with us and we will endeavour to find you some food with which to cook. Once you have a source of food you will require a kitchen and cutlery to cook with. Some local libraries or community centres are sympathetic to what we’re doing and so may allow you to use their kitchens to prepare in. Alternatively, you can use a private kitchen. You can serve the food indoors or outdoors. If a community centre has allowed you to use their kitchen they may allow you to use their premises for the actual food kitchen serving. Sometimes working with government funded community centres can be more trouble than it is worth due to rules, regulations and expected compromises. Its not hard to just do it by yourselves.

Food Not Bombs/orgname does not just do food kitchens. There are lots of things you can do if starting a food kitchen seems too daunting a task. Here are some of the things we always need help with: Artwork (antimilitarism, veganism, FNB artwork, anti welfare cuts etc). Drop offs (If you know someone in need of food you could arrange food deliveries in your ares from the food that you salvage from your local fruit and vegetable supplier). Protests and actions. Education. Supporting and promoting independent local food co-ops etc etc.

Where to Do a Food Kitchen

Obviously a food kitchen in {insert rich area} may raise a few eyebrows, but it is not really going to benefit too many people. Working within your local community is probably the best way of maintaining and establishing a food kitchen. By setting up a kitchen in your local area you are establishing links and contacts in your local area. Also, you would be more inclined to know where a food kitchen would be appropriate. Think globally, act locally.

Publicity

Before your first food kitchen, advertise! Posters in shops, local libraries, post offices and community centres are a good start. As Australia is such a multicultural country the area you choose will not consist merely of white Anglo-Saxons. If your area, for example has a high Vietnamese population then some posters in Vietnamese explaining the food kitchen and its whereabouts would be a good idea. Again, if you work within your local are, you would be inclined to know what nationalities are more predominant.

Public Relations

From time to time, your collective may have to make decisions that you may not fully agree on. For example, receiving free food from a multinational corporation or having to work with manipulative councillors in obtaining permits or resources is not everyone’s cup of tea. Your food kitchen may wish to use only organic fruit or vegetables or you may decide to use conventional produce also. Some food may not be totally vegan that you receive (eg bacon/cheese rolls in a bakery pickup) and there is no ‘one solution’ to such problems when they arise.

Health and Hygiene

The following list on hygiene is merely a guide. For more indepth answers to disease risks, contact your local Community Health Centre. If you cook a meal for a food kitchen and left overs remain you may want to reheat the meal the next day. A cooked meal left over for a day may appear cold on the surface. However, inside the food particles may still be warm. In this warm environment hazardous bacteria may breed, posing a potential risk to someone should they decide to eat it. Thus, if you want to reuse a cooked meal, make sure that you refrigerate it. Any food that appears rotting or containing fungus should be discarded. Only use raw fruit and vegetables that show no signs of serious deterioration.

When you serve a meal, have one or two persons behind the table serving the meals with spoons. The less people coming in contact with food stuffs the less possibility of disease transmission. Also, when serving food, do not allow the serving spoons to come into contact with the plates, especially if the plate has already been used and the person is coming back for seconds. Wash all plates, cutlery and containers in hot soapy water and scrub thoroughly after food kitchens. If you are not at all sure of any practices then contact the appropriate authorities on disease risk prevention. Remember: Play it Safe!

______________________(Re-iterate aims of organisation ... what you set out to achieve.)_________________________