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Norman Food Not Bombs
- What Is Food Not Bombs?
About Norman FNB
How to Get Involved with Norman Food Not Bombs
So, you’ve heard about this organization called FNB, realized that there is one
in your town, and have decided you want to get involved. Well, it’s not as easy
as volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or the local soup kitchen - it is a
non-hierarchical, community-building organization based on some rather abstract
concepts - voluntary mutual aid, egalitarianism and cooperation rather than
competition. With these complex ideals and unique structure, some folks find it
hard to know how to get involved or what to do for FNB. Non-hierarchal
structures and consensus-based organizations can be confusing to new volunteers
who haven't experienced such types of organizations before. Inclusiveness is
highly valued by FNB volunteers. This guide is an attempt to make Norman FNB
more inclusive. So, this guide will be like a list of ways to get involved and
make a contribution in your own way. It will begin with most common volunteer
activities of regular Logistics, then move on to Promotion, Sustainability, and
finally community-building beyond FNB. This guide is certainly not conclusive or
comprehensive. If you notice something that's been left out, please add to this
or even make a whole new guide.
Come To The Picnic
The first way most people get involved in FNB is by coming to our picnic in the
park. When you come, feel free to bring a vegan (meat-, dairy-, & egg-free)
potluck item or drinks if you like, but it's perfectly acceptable to just come
and eat. The first step to building a community is eating together, no matter
how diverse our economic, ethnic, or lifestyle background is. We recommend vegan
food because that allows everyone to eat - food that contains meat, dairy, or
eggs cannot be eaten by those who are vegan, but vegan food can be eaten by
those who eat meat, dairy, and/or eggs. This is simple egalitarianism and
inclusiveness. Just sharing food and conversation, and maybe a game or a song,
allows us to find common ground while recognizing the realities of others' life
situations. Feel free to bring drums, guitars, frisbees, footballs, basketballs,
etc. Currently, we picnic in Andrews Park 5pm on Sunday afternoons.
Offer to Help with Flyering, Meeting & Greeting
We'd like to have one or more people to hand out flyers at shelters during the
week, as well as meet, greet, and explain FNB to passers by during the picnic.
Cooking
An important aspect for many FNB groups is seeing the picnic as a form of
protest or direct action to regularly remind people of the saddening fact that
daily our government spends tremendous amounts of resources for war and military
might, but very little to feed people, even while large amounts of perfectly
good food is wasted daily due to consumer market practices. Many FNB groups
choose to focus their energies on collecting this food, and sharing it at the
picnic. This creates many ways for you to get involved, first by sharing your
cooking skills at a local FNB cookhouse. Usually, a few hours before the
serving, volunteers gather at the pre-determined cookhouse to wash, chop, and
cook the donations. We currently meet at Casa del Corazón (727
North Findlay Avenue) at about 2pm on Sundays.
Food Donation Pickups
Food donations are usually picked up several days per week. The donations that
will be used for the FNB meal are stored at Casa del Corazón and the remainder
are distributed throughout the week to those who need them. This is a great way
to get involved when cooking or picnic times conflict with your other life
commitments. Doing food donation pickups usually require a truck or a car with a
large trunk or backseat. Smaller donations can be picked up with a good bike and
bike cart. Contact Maka at 204-2352 or by email
if you'd like to help with pickups.
Getting Donations
Getting FNB new donations from local businesses is another great way to get
involved, especially if you’re a people person or have a great local network of
business-owner friends. We especially need bulk beans, pasta, grains, and rice,
bread, spices, and salt. Other items that would be helpful are larger skillets,
woks, and soup pots, durable unbreakable cups, plates and bowls, and flatware.
Holding a donation drive is great for churches, schools, or your office - if you
focus on one specific type of item, it's easier for the donors to remember
what's needed and it's easier for volunteers to sort out what comes in. Some
other sources to try are farmer's markets, local gardeners, produce stands,
grocery stores, health food stores, bakeries, delis and restaurants. A donation
request letter is at the bottom of this page - you can copy it and give it to
the appropriate manager, along with a copy of the
Good Samaritan Act, to show the business manager that they are protected
from donation-related liabilities.
Gleaning
Another great way to collect food that would normally get wasted is by gleaning.
This is when volunteers go pick vegetables and fruits that are not being
harvested. Just make sure to ask first! Often times gardeners would love the
help, especially during the hotter months. Next time you’re walking or biking
around your 'hood, stop by and meet your neighbors and offer some help. This is
a great project to do with your children on a weekend morning, and a great way
to build community locally, reduce yard waste, and feed folks at FNB picnics.
Sometimes gleaning is organized where groups of volunteers go out to local
farms, and pick left over fruits and veggies after the commercial harvest is
over.
Providing a Cookhouse
Many great cooks have not only cookbooks, but also an amazing array of
appliances and gadgets to fill their spacious kitchen. If you’re one of those
people who spend most of your free time at home in the kitchen, then maybe you
would like to share your knowledge, skills, tools, and space by getting involved
in FNB. Centrality and convenience is important so volunteers can make their way
to your place, so please keep this in mind when deciding to offer up your place.
Although we don’t have rotating cookhouses locally yet, they could reduce
burnout and bring a variety of new volunteers from differing neighborhoods and
social groups.
Transportation
Sometimes we can manage to get all of the food to the park via bikes with
trailers, but sometimes it's not that easy. If you have a vehicle, a great way
to get involved is by offering rides to the many non-driving individuals, as
well as the pots of food, dishes, and literature bin. So, fuel up, and drive for
FNB about 4:45 PM on Sunday afternoons from the cookhouse.
Clean-Up
Hey, we all know what this means: Dishes and Cleaning. Take this job on some
week, and combat that silly argument against anarchism, “If there was no
government, or capitalism, then who would pick up the garbage?” This usually
means picking up in the park after the picnic, helping with storage of
leftovers, and doing the communal dishes. Currently our cookhouses are
volunteers' home kitchens, and having a mess of FNB dishes to deal with after
the picnic is over and everybody has gone home just sucks.
The Literature/Supply Bin
This is the container (or containers) that holds plates, bowls, cups, flatware,
salt, pepper and especially the literature to set out at the picnic, so people
understand who we are and what we are doing. This task includes checking to see
that everything on the checklist is in the bin before the picnic, and
photocopying literature and flyers about FNB. It’s not a hard way to volunteer
but is rather essential, so try taking this on occasionally.
Designing Literature
Well, maybe cooking is not your thing, and you’re not quite a people person, but
you do love computers and design. Most FNB groups get new volunteers by word of
mouth and flyers. Well-designed flyers are essential, so one very important way
to get involved is by designing promotional flyers, handbills, pamphlets, and/or
posters about FNB directed for specific audiences that may not be represented
currently at the picnic or volunteering. Maybe you could design a couple or
maybe you know a different language and could translate them to reach out to
more diverse folks.
Tabling and Flyering
Maybe design is not your thing, but you love going to events and talking to new
people. FNB always needs people to constantly be doing promotion by tabling and
flyering at events, shows or concerts. Just grab or download some flyers,
photocopy them, and off you go. If you don’t like handing them to people, you
could just take them with you to school, venues, shops, any place you find
yourself, and just leave a stack here and there.
Printing Posters and Stickers
Another way to promote FNB is by posters and stickers, so maybe a late night at
Kinko’s sounds fun to you. Stickers can be made on copy machines at most copy
centers, and they usually even have the sticker paper there. You can find tons
of FNB graphics on the Internet, and this is a great way to volunteer by
promoting FNB.
Artistry - Banners & Screen-Printing
You could volunteer with Norman FNB by making a few banners for display at the
picnics, as well as during tabling events and protests. Banners can be made as
easily as painting on a flag or sheet. If painting is not your thing, maybe
woodcut printmaking or screen-printing is. The best way you can personally
promote FNB is by wearing a T-shirt or a patch. But someone has to make those
stylish shirts first, and maybe that someone could be you. Printed posters are
another great thing if you’ve got these skills, and makes for a great fun night
with friends. Norman FNB could specifically use some t-shirts right now - making
homemade screen-printed shirts is great fun.
Donation Request Letter
NORMAN FOOD NOT BOMBS
823 N. Findlay Ave, Norman OK 73071
405.307.8379
The date
Dear manager,
Norman Food not Bombs would like to pick up any surplus food you might have.
Food not Bombs is a non-profit organization that delivers food to local shelters
and soup kitchens, as well as serving it ourselves to the hungry.
Food Not Bombs prides itself in being prompt and reliable in both its pickups
and deliveries.
Your store will benefit in knowing your surplus food is really reaching those in
need. Many storeowners have even seen a saving in waste disposal fees and taxes.
Please contact us and tell us when it would be most convenient to pick up your
surplus. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Your name
Food Not Bombs Volunteer
Text of Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act
PUBLIC LAW 104-210
An Act
To encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit
organizations for distribution to needy individuals by giving the Model Good
Samaritan Food Donation Act the full force and effect of law.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled,
(a) Conversion to Permanent Law.--Title IV of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 is amended--
(1) by striking the title heading and sections 401
and 403 (42 U.S.C. 12671 and 12673); and
(2) in section 402 (42 U.S.C.12672)--
(A) in the section heading, by striking ``model'' and
inserting ``Bill Emerson'';
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``Good Samaritan'' and
inserting ``Bill Emerson Good Samaritan'';
(C) in subsection (b)(7), to read as follows:
``(7) Gross negligence.--The term `gross negligence' means
voluntary and conscious conduct (including a failure to act)
by a person who, at the time of the conduct, knew that the
conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well-being
of another person.'';
(D) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
(c) Liability for Damages From Donated Food and Grocery Products.--
(1) Liability of person or gleaner.--A person or gleaner
shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising
from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently
wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that
the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a
non-profit organization for ultimate distribution to needy
individuals.
(2) Liability of non-profit organization.--A non-profit
organization shall not be subject to civil or criminal
liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or
condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently
fit grocery product that the non-profit organization
received as a donation in good faith from a person or
gleaner for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
(3) Exception.--Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to an
injury to or death of an ultimate user or recipient of the
food or grocery product that results from an act or
omission of the person, gleaner, or non-profit
organization, as applicable, constituting gross negligence
or intentional misconduct.''; and
(E) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following:
``Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede State
or local health regulations.''.
(b) Transfer to Child Nutrition Act of 1966.--Section 402 of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.12672)
(as amended by subsection (a))--
(1) is transferred from the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966;
(2) is redesignated as section 22 of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966; and
(3) is added at the end of such Act.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents for the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by
striking the items relating to title IV.
SECTION 1.
CONVERSION TO PERMANENT LAW OF MODEL GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION ACT AND
TRANSFER OF THAT ACT TO CHILD NUTRITION ACT OF 1966.
SECTION OF THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT OF 1990 THAT WAS AMENDED BY
THE EMERSON GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION ACT:
Public Law No. 101-610, 104 Stat. 3183 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 12671-12673)
(1990)
TITLE IV- FOOD DONATIONS
SEC. 401. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING ENACTMENT OF GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION
ACT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—It is the sense of Congress that each of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and
possessions of the United States should
(1) encourage the donation of apparently wholesome food or grocery products to
nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals; and
(2) consider the model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (provided in section
402) as a means of encouraging the donation of food and grocery products.
(b) DISTRIBUTION OF COPIES. -The Archivist of the United States shall distribute
a copy of this title to the chief executive officer of each of the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories
and possessions of the United States.
SEC. 402. MODEL GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION ACT.
(a) SHORT TITLE. —This section may be cited as the "Good Samaritan Food Donation
Act".
(b) DEFINITIONS. —As used in this section:
(1) APPARENTLY FIT GROCERY PRODUCT.—The term "apparently fit grocery product"
means a grocery product that meets a quality and labeling standards imposed by
Federal, State, and local laws and regulations even though the product may not
be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus,
or other conditions.
(2) APPARENTLY WHOLESOME FOOD. —The term "apparently wholesome food" means food
that meets all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and
local laws and regulations even though the food may not be readily marketable
due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus, or other conditions.
(3) DONATE.—The term "donate" means to give without requiring anything of
monetary value from the recipient, except that the term shall include giving by
a nonprofit organization to another nonprofit organization, notwithstanding that
the donor organization has charged a nominal fee to the donee organization, if
the ultimate recipient or user is not required anything of monetary value.
(4) FOOD.—The term "food" means any raw, cooked, processed, or prepared edible
substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or intended for use in whole or in
part for human consumption.
(5) GLEANER. —The term "gleaner" means a person who harvests for free
distribution to the needy, or for donation to a nonprofit organization for
ultimate distribution to the needy, an agricultural crop that has been donated
by the owner.
(6) GROCERY PRODUCT. —The term "grocery product" means a nonfood grocery
product, including a disposable paper or plastic product, household cleaning
product, laundry detergent, cleaning product, or miscellaneous household item.
(7) GROSS NEGLIGENCE.—The term "gross negligence" means voluntary and conscious
conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of the conduct) that the conduct
is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.
(8) INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT.—The term "intentional misconduct" means conduct by a
person with knowledge (at the time of the conduct) that the conduct is harmful
to the health or well-being of another person.
(9) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term "nonprofit organization" means an
incorporated or unincorporated entity that —-
(A) is operating for religious, charitable, or educational purposes; and
(B) does not provide net earnings to, or operate in any other manner that inures
to the benefit of, any officer, employee, or shareholder of the entity.
(10) PERSON.—The term "person" means an individual, corporation, partnership,
organization, association, or governmental entity, including a retail grocer,
wholesaler, hotel, motel, manufacturer, restaurant, caterer, farmer, and
nonprofit food distributor or hospital. In the case of a corporation,
partnership, organization, association, or governmental entity, the term
includes an officer, director, partner, deacon, trustee, council member, or
other elected or appointed individual responsible for the governance of the
entity.
(c)LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES FROM DONATED FOOD AND GROCERY PRODUCTS. - A person or
gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the
nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an
apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith
to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals,
except that this paragraph shall not apply to an injury to or death of an
ultimate user or recipient of the food or grocery product that results from an
act or omission of the donor constituting gross negligence or intentional
misconduct.
(d) COLLECTION OR GLEANING OF DONATIONS.—A person who allows the collection or
gleaning of donations on property owned or occupied by the person by gleaners,
or paid or unpaid representatives of a nonprofit organization, for ultimate
distribution to needy individuals shall not be subject to civil or criminal
liability that arises due to the injury of death of the gleaner or
representative, except that this paragraph shall not apply to an injury or death
that results from an act or omission of the person constituting gross negligence
or intentional misconduct.
(e) PARTIAL COMPLIANCE.—If some or all of the donated food and grocery products
do not meet all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and
local laws and regulations, the person or gleaner who donates the food and
grocery products shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability in
accordance with this section if the nonprofit organization that receives the
donated food or grocery products-
(1) is informed by the donor of the distressed or defective condition of the
donated food or grocery products;
(2) agrees to recondition the donated food or grocery products to comply with
all the quality and labeling standards prior to distribution; and
(3) is knowledgeable of the standards to properly recondition the donated food
or grocery product.
(f) CONSTRUCTION.—This section shall not be construed to create any liability.
SEC. 403. EFFECT OF SECTION. 402
The model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (provided in section 402) is intended
only to serve as a model law for enactment by the States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions
of the United States. The enactment of section 402 shall have no force or effect
in law.
http://www.usda.gov/news/pubs/gleaning/appc.htm
(Last Updated: 03.19.06)
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