Earlham students launch Food Not Bombs
by Terah Primack
Recently, two students have begun to organize a division of the food pantry group Food Not Bombs in the Richmond area.
Senior Rosalie Jacobson and freshman Olivia Thornburg have spearheaded the project and are looking for more students who might be interested in helping them.
“Food not bombs is an anti-hunger organization,” said Jacobson. “It’s based on the premise that there is enough food for everybody to eat, but it’s being thrown away.”
“In other words, we should be spending our money on food rather than bombs,” said Thornberg.
“Food not bombs is a pretty cheap organization to run but we’re gonna need some start up capital,” said Jacobson. “We’re gonna need like, big pots and pans, big bowls, we’re just gonna need the initial stuff.”
If students could provide these things they are encouraged to come and talk to Jacobson or Thornberg.
“A lot of people skip meals,” said Thornberg, “and a lot of food goes to waste, and it can’t be donated because you can’t donate it to traditional soup kitchens. So this would be a way to alternatively, without the same sort of regulation, make a place where people can go if they’re hungry.”
“We both worked at a Food Not Bombs in New York at different times,” said Jacobson, “and it’s just a very grassroots organization anyone’s welcome to come help out and serve. Who eats is not limited to economic status, it’s just like, if you’re hungry please eat food.”
The two decided that Food Not Bombs is just the thing Richmond needs now that the food co-op has moved elsewhere. Jacobson and Thornburg are still searching for a place to set up the food pantry somewhere close to the college.
“We’re trying to find a place to cook off campus, like close to campus but still not on our turf. So it’s more of neutral ground for folks from Richmond to come help out,” said Jacobson.
Jacobson and Thornburg would like to keep the organization separate from and un-financed by the college.
“One thing I know that we both care about is making it not just an Earlham group. Because Food Not Bombs is a community rooted, grassroots organization, we want to make as many Richmond people feel comfortable, as well as Earlham people,” said Jacobson.
Food Not Bombs is a vegetarian and vegan food service that protests the development of weapons over the making of food. Founded in Massachusetts in 1980 by an anti-nuclear activists, Food Not Bombs has provided aid for the refugees of hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami.
The idea to start a Food Not Bombs group in Richmond had been floating around for a while. However, not much has actually been done yet, as the project is still being planned out.
“We’re honestly in the very, very beginning stages,” said Jacobson
Food not Bombs will be celebrating their 30th anniversary this coming year on May 23. In celebration, the organization is setting up rallies around the nation, among other events.
Ideas for other events can be e-mailed to the group’s Web site at menu@foodnotbombs.net, which they in turn will post to the planning page for the occasion www.foodnotbombs.net/anniversary_plans.html.
Students interested in putting forward ideas for the Richmond Food Not Bombs group should attend the weekly meetings on Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the student-run coffee shop space (previously the Clear Creek Co-op).
Only two meetings have occurred so far. Students with ideas are encouraged to stop by. Other ways of tracking the developments of this group include checking out their Facebook group and visiting the official Food Not Bombs website http://www.foodnotbombs.net/.
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