FOOD NOT BOMBS SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI, TEXT CONVERSATIONS;

 

Darin and J.

 

Apparently there have been people here who have wanted to start a local chapter [in Springfield,] for years it just never materialized; J has been an #OO Nomad and has made his way back to the Midwest with his lady-friend C.

 

Howdy! Springfield Food Not Bombs first feeding will be on Sunday! We planned it to be small since we are just starting out. We are making food for about 20 or so people. Tonight we have a meeting for a group of us (very small group) that are looking to start a food not bombs.

 

How are you getting food and stuff?

 

That is what we are trying to figure out. Dumpstering is not really an option here, We saw an alternative in Reno, they hit food banks and used that then there are some people who worked with some local health food place and other businesses to get some food donated for various actions so that is an avenue to check out as well. I am pretty excited, C. is even more so. She had been wanting to start a food not bombs here since we came, we found some people who have been wanting to do it but never did. It’s not Oakland, but we are trying to bring some of that spirit here. I figure I have done enough complaining about lack of things going on here, and the way that activists do things here it’s time to actually try to help change things not really qualified for that, not much of an organizer.

Do you feel that by offering meals to the homeless you are sublimating yourself to the subservience of the mainstream or do you feel, especially given the lack of effective care or services in this country as per social welfare that you are offering a unique service that no governmental agency could possibly live up to?

 

Well here the homeless services are pretty limited. There is only one consistent night meal provided here and the place that does it, The Victory Mission, requires anyone who wishes to eat to sit through a sermon. If you are late they lock the doors and you don’t eat if you leave during the sermon, you don’t eat.

 

Starve in the name of Jesus, halauliajah!

 

When I was there the guy in charge told everyone to make sure to use the bathroom before chapel because if we left for any reason, we couldn't eat.

There are at least a dozen like that in the bay area.

 

To me that is absolutely ridiculous that they will hold the ability to eat over people's heads like that!

 

Jesus told me to skin you alive!

(Dead Kennedy's lyric...)

 

There is another benefit of a Food Not Bombs here that I hope to see happen...

 

Wait, Jello Biafra is coming to Springfield!?!!!

 

There is no real anarchist community here. There a few anarachists that I have met, but they don't really talk about it or do anything because it wouldn’t be accepted here.

 

What is the population there?

 

I am hoping that by organizing a Food Not Bombs that we can bring some of these people together and show them that although we are a minority (especially in this area of the country) we do exist. A couple hundred-thousand maybe. It’s the biggest city in this part of Missouri.

 

O weird, I guess it is safe to say that both of us are excited to see how it goes. Or the 3 of us, I'm stoked for you guys really, I can't wait to hear about everything from you guys!

 

We will keep you updated.

 

That’s so awesome thanks!

 

Speaking of Slingshots, do they still send the newspaper places for free, or what is the cost?

 

Ask them for copies, send them like $5 or something.

 

Will do that. There is a small group of us who want to start handing out anarchist literature.

 

You might try Bound Together bookstore in San Francisco or a catalog or something.

 

We are collecting various pamphlets and what not. Do you know of any good ones for people who know absolutely nothing about anarchy at all except the lies the news tells us?

 

That sounds just like a question to send to Bound Together.[I’m more of a socialist actually, and sometimes I  revert to a time before The Longhaul or the Oakland Holdout existed, so naturally times being what they were I would recommend the bookstore. Seriously, J will be contacting our local venues and alternative bookstores and info shops. We had that discussion.]

 

....

 

Hey! We did the first Food Not Bombs event tonight !

 

Yea!

 

Went better than I thought it would. Fed around 40. There were a few who came at the end and we ran out of food. It was interesting because most of the people here weren't familiar with Food Not Bombs and were surprised by the lack of a sermon and more relaxed environment.

 

You did an amazing thing today!

 

It was fun. We are going to go over it tomorrow at the meeting and figure out how to make it better and be better prepared.