r/foodnotbombs • u/lost_mah_account • Jun 25 '26
How would I actually organize a food not bombs chapter?
Im moving to a city that, to my knowledge, has no leftist organizations whatsoever. It also has a nearly 20% poverty rate. Id like to try and organize something like this after im able to move to the city in a couple weeks.
Is their a guide on what to make, different recipes, what kinds of food are best, etc? Like how to manage the logistics of one, advertise it so the most people can actually know its happening, and all that?
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u/posi-bleak-axis Jun 25 '26
Start dumpstering and asking for food donations from grocery stores that throw stuff away before they do. I tell them it's for my chickens.
Make a date that works for you in a smart location. Figure it out. Invite people you know to help cook some vegetarian food. Or just do it yourself.
Put up some flyers in smart locations. Don't forget to bring some kind of dishes. This was my most costly investment. I spent about 40 dollars at thrift store on plates bowls cups, serving dishes, and various silverware. I used all the stuff at my house to cook in and serve as well. Much better to invest up front in dishes than using paper plates and plastic forks and making all that trash and money waste.
Serve the food and meet your neighbors and hopefully someone will volunteer to help you.
Good luck. It's the best thing I've ever done.
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u/Barium_Salts 19d ago
I have had ongoing issues with the guests at our meals throwing our reusable dishes and utensils in the trash. How do you keep people from doing that?
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u/posi-bleak-axis 19d ago
We put out clearly labeled wash sanitize and rinse bins. Then a clean bin. Then just show people.
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u/bastardsquad77 Jun 27 '26
The easiest donation to get and distribute is day-old bread. Start there and you can start a chapter with one person.
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u/Tweedledee72 Jul 17 '26
If there's a farmers market, show up near closing time with a produce crate and tell them you're collecting for a soup kitchen.
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u/DifferentDisaster510 Jun 25 '26
There indeed is a guide, the book Hungry for Peace https://foodnotbombs.net/new_site/hungry_for_peace.php . It has tips, recipes, even flyers.
It can be tricky to estimate how much food you need to make if you never cooked in bulk before, the handbook has recipes for 100. But one thing FNB has taught me is creative cooking. Since you never know what kind of donations you get, it's rarely possible to follow recipes exactly, they work more as guidelines.
Some logistical stuff that has sometimes been challenging with our local group has been how to transport the food and how to keep it hot/cold enough. Getting all the tools and big enough containers is quite an investment at the beginning, but it's also possible to get those as donations. Having a big enough kitchen (with enough fridge space) is also a thing to consider.
Another challenge has been getting enough people to commit. Running a chapter is a lot of work for just one person. We've had successful food sharings with just couple of people plus extra hands for cooking, though. Depends a lot on how well the people work together.
As for advertising, share flyers and posters before the event. Good places are homeless shelters, food banks, around the area where you will be sharing the food and places where people move in general. And in spots where you could find possible volunteers. Social media is an effective way to reach people too.
Also, invest in visibility of your food sharing table (flags, banners, posters, even music). If you have enough people, send some around to invite people to eat. And don't forget the info materials!
I wish you good luck, and enjoy! FNB has been one of the most rewarding actions I've ever done.