Kitchens, Offices & Other Spaces
Some options for kitchen spaces are:
* Your own house. This is convenient, especially if
a lot of lot people in the group live with you. It won't work if your
kitchen is very small, your housemates can't handle the commotion, or
if you live with slobs and the kitchen is incurably filthy.
* Someone else's house. Many people who don't have time or interest in
volunteering may sometimes be willing to lend their space to Food Not
Bombs. The same considerations apply as with your own house. Large collective
houses, student housing buildings, and other structures that serve large
numbers of people usually have big kitchens. Approach them if you have
contacts.
* Churches, Community Centers, Other Public Buildings. Grand, spacious
kitchens. Make sure no one is trying to dictate your politics in exchange
for use of the space.
* Outdoor Kitchen. These are useful in a wide variety of situations. Extra
work to set up. See Food Not Bombs by C.T. Butler and Keith McHenry for
pages and pages about field kitchens.
Different spaces may be appropriate for different situations. For example, you might cook at a church kitchen for a weekly meal to homeless people, a field kitchen for a large rally in a park and at a volunteer's kitchen for small lunch at an event. Perhaps write a letter asking permission to use the space.
Keep a list of potential kitchens and stay in touch with them. You never know when their space might come in useful, perhaps when a regular cookhouse suddenly gets dropped.
Note: Whatever kitchen(s) you do end up using, always leave it cleaner than you found it, and be respectful and grateful to the people who run/live in/lend the space.
Be Respectful of the cookhouse: In general, it is important that everyone involved in Food Not Bombs feel safe being involved. Unless you are cooking at your own house, Food Not Bombs members are guests, and Food Not Bombs itself is a guest. Obviously, residents of any house can 86 an unwanted guest, and Food Not Bombs does not invite unwelcome persons to any house. You do not have the right to invite police or unrelated strangers into someone else's house. People who do not respect their hosts are a real drag on Food Not Bombs. Just use your common sense
Traditionally, the Food Not Bombs office is a voice mail line, a folder of literature, and permission to use a room somewhere to meet once a week. But if a space is offered for say, $50 a month definitely consider it, especially if you're involved in some heated campaign, getting a lot media, etc. Having a central space for volunteers to come to post info, exchange things and generally stay in touch is quite helpful.
Your group may also need storage space. You can always store things in your houses, but some groups rent space. Sometimes a place you cook can also help with storage.
Centers are starting all over that serve the needs of several activist groups in the community, or you could spearhead the creation of such a center if one isn't around. Such a place can meet many of your space needs. See "Networking in Your Community" towards the back of the manual.
