What are your principles?
While each Food Not Bombs chapter throughout the world may differ in some ways, they all share these principles:

1) always vegan or vegetarian
2) each chapter is independent and autonomous, using consensus to make decisions
3) Food Not Bombs (as an organization) is dedicated to non-violent direct action

Why vegan?
Over 70% of the grain grown in this country is used to feed livestock, which in turn feed far fewer people than the grain would directly.

Factory farms treat animals like commodities, objects to be used solely as profit-making things, while ignoring that they are living, feeling beings who feel the tremendous pain being inflicted upon them.

Serving vegan food exemplifies Food Not Bombs’ commitment to nonviolence, as well as the wise and rational use of resources.

How did Food Not Bombs start?
Food Not Bombs was started in 1980 in Boston by activists involved in the anti-nuclear movement. It has since grown to a worldwide grassroots movement of about 200 autonomous chapters.

Who’s in charge of this thing?
No one is in charge of Hartford Food Not Bombs or the Food Not Bombs movement. We have no board, no director, and we operate on a model of consensus-based decision making in which everyone has equal say.

What is anarchism?
Anarchism is a social movement that seeks liberation from oppressive systems of control, whether they be the state, capitalism, racism, sexism, or religious institutions. Anarchists advocate a self-managed, stateless society without borders, bosses, or rulers where everyone takes collective responsibility for the health and prosperity of their community. Basically, we believe that we don’t need leaders to make decisions that affect our lives; decisions should be made by those whose lives are most affected by them.

Being an anarchist means that you are against all forms of oppression (misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.).

Where do you get your food?

Most of our food is recovered and saved from being thrown out by local grocery stores. We also receive food from local farms.

Can I bring some food with me to share?

Absolutely! Lots of folks just prepare veggie food at home and bring it down to the park between 3pm-5pm.

Do you have to be an anarchist/vegan/whatever to help out?

One of us!…One of us!….Just kidding, many folks that participate in FNB do not follow any specific ideology or diet.

Why in the park?

By giving away free, vegetarian food in public places Food Not Bombs brings the invisible hungry and poor into the public’s eye, forcing passers-by to examine, at least for a moment, their own complicity and involvement in allowing the unaccountable global economic system that oppresses every one of us to continue.

I heard that folks in Orlando and other places are getting arrested. Will I get arrested in Hartford for doing Food Not Bombs? Not in Connecticut. If you’re really interested in this, the Middletown Eye has a good overview of how it came to be (articles are in reverse chronological order).

How can I help?

Start a chapter in your city…Start another day with a group of friends in Hartford…Come down to Bushnell Park any Sunday at 3pm.

Is this family friendly?

Definitely! Many families take part in FNB.

Could someone from Hartford Food Not Bombs talk at my school/community group?

Absolutely! FNB has given many presentations to schools and community groups in the area. email us for more details at hartfordfnb@gmail.com

Will Food Not Bombs cook for my event?

We try to provide meals for various protests/rallies as much as possible and when we have the resources to do so.