Sundays 3pm
Come to the park every Sunday. Around 3pm we will show up with hot vegan soup, bread, fruits and vegetables. Let us know if you want to participate in cooking or anthing else. See you there!
Philosophy
The name Food Not Bombs states our most fundamental principle: That our society needs things that give life, not things that give death. Our society is dominated by violence and the threats of violence. This affects us both in our daily lives through the constant threat of crime and police abuse and less directly but just as seriously through the threat of total annihilation from nuclear war. The authority and power of our government are predicated on the threat and use of violence. They continue to spend more time and resources developing, using, and threatening to use weapons of massive human and planetary destructions than on nurturing and celebrating life. Food Not Bombs has chosen to take a stand against violence. As a group of individuals we are committed to non-violent social change through the celebration and nurturing of life by giving out free vegetarian food.
Poverty is violence. By spending money on bombs instead of addressing human needs, our government perpetuates and exacerbates the violence of poverty in our society. One of the most direct physical expressions of the violence of poverty is hunger. Millions of Americans go hungry every day and childhood malnutrition contributes heavily to infant mortality rates, which are higher in parts of the U.S. than in some Third World nations. Inadequate or non-existent health care, police brutality, and class discrimination are also forms of systemic violence against poor people. Poverty is also a key factor in the level of interpersonal violence. It can drive down people's self-esteem, causing people to lash out in the form of domestic violence and violent street crime. The violence of poverty also becomes internalized which can result in addictive behavior and suicide.
Food Not Bombs responds to the problems of poverty and self-esteem in two ways. First, we provide food to whomever wants it in an open respectful way. We don't make people jump through any bureaucratic hoops that are designed to control and often punish people for being poor. Secondly, we invite people who eat with us to be involved in providing the food themselves. This helps people to regain a feeling of their own power and their ability to change their situation.
The food we share also expresses our commitment to nonviolence because we share only vegetarian food. Mainstream food production is an inherently violent process involving the slaughtering of millions of animals, the death of an estimated 10 000 field workers annually, and the poisoning of the air, water, soil, and our bodies with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Food Not Bombs works hard to prevent violence within our own community by ensuring that food is never used as a weapon against anyone. We concentrate on sharing food in a peaceful and respectful manner, thereby creating a safe environment for people to become involved in. The food we share embodies our commitment to nonviolence in so many ways. It is a humane response to poverty, a means of empowering people, and is ecologically safe.