I'm working with community groups prepping for Y2k. Some of our neighbors are dirt poor, some aren't gonna be ready, some are DGI, some DWGI, but they're gonna be hungry at some point. Some might not be the nicest people in the whole world. Don't talk about weaponry; we'll cover that if needs be.

I want to help people cooperate to feed neighbors IF THEY CHOOSE TO, by showing them how to organize their efforts. I've got some ideas, but I'm asking if anyone has any experience along these lines, or can point me in the right direction. Ideally I'd like to find printed materials that we can hand out, simple stuff to get people started.

Si I'm looking for information on setting up ad hoc foodbanks, particularly where our population is spread out in clusters of houses, some large, some small, widely distributed. They have to feed themselves, feed each other as best they can, and protect themselves from possible outsiders. That means a mix of protectiveness and wariness, like looking after your little sister even though you might not have chosen her out of the litter, given the chance.

How do a dozen homes get together and feed 3 or 4 other houses? How do you store food so it's not all in one (vulnerable) location? How do you manage responsibilities? How do you control pilferage? How do you make sure everyone gets some before anyone gets seconds? How do you help the needy while still intimidating the hoodlums? How do you ensure that the hungry aren't just cruising foodbank to foodbank until they can't eat any more?

Any ideas?

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 30, 1999

Answers

"Si I'm looking". Nosir, I'm from Minnesota. That should be "So, I'm looking".

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 30, 1999.

"How do you make sure everyone gets some before anyone gets seconds? How do you ensure that the hungry aren't just cruising foodbank to foodbank until they can't eat any more? "

Write the date on their hand with a pen when you feed them. Use pens that are very hard to wash off. Most people would be ashamed to get too many marks, it'd be like wearing a sign that says "I'm a beggar", so they would try to find other food.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 30, 1999.

biker, won't giving them a mark on their hand be similarly humilating?

How about asking them to work for their food? Many food coop's require members to work an hour each month. There certainly will always be work to do, even if it's clean-up.

It enables the recipient to feel less like a needy person than a worthwhile person "earning" their food. Many would opt for that, if they are able to do the work. For those less able, perhaps they could babysit in a children's area while parents do their food kitchen hour(s)?

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), July 30, 1999.

When everybody votes in India, the voter gets a mark on his fingernail, it stays for a long time, can't be scrubbed off. I think that the sharpie pen writing the date is a good idea.

I personally don't plan on feeding anyone unless they do some physical work for me (like carry water, do handwashing, or something), unless they are an infant or truly helpless. Not interested in any more subsidies of useless eaters.

-- (nobody@nowhere.com), July 30, 1999.

I have been involved with grassroots solidarity with the poor for a long time. Mostly, it's because I've generally been poor myself. My experience is that the poor can be very generous.

While living in Kansas City, I worked with an urban ministry that delivered hot meals and other items (such as socks, candles, over the counter meds, etc.) to homeless people who lived in camps rather than shelters.

We had 3 vehicles (a suburban and 2 bread trucks), and each had a route and a route leader (usually the same person each week, for a particular night, we went out 3 nights a week), 2 to 4 other volunteers (rotating each night and week). We had regular stops, and also kept our eyes out for new homeless in the area. Homeless people would gather at each drop-off point.

!. Never say something like, "We have X, Y, and Z", rather, ask them what they need and then respond.

2. The first person in the line asks for A, F, H, X, and Z. It's not unusual for the person behind him or her to ask for the exact same thing, even if they have no need for it (e.g., the first person in line is a woman who asks for sanitary napkins, and then the guy behind her asks for the same thing.)

3. In the winter in Kansas City, the #1 thing asked for (after hot food, cocoa and coffee which everybody got) was candles and matches, #2 clean socks, #3 blankets. The old army style can openers were popular too.

People who want to help feed their neighbors should be proactive in organizing the neighborhood as the disruptions begin (understanding that most people won't do anything until the situation is upon us).

In such a situation, you have various options:

1. You can hand out groceries.

2. You can open a soup kitchen.

3. You can open a community kitchen.

Of the three, I think the least desirable is #1. Fuel is likely to be scarce and more of an issue than food availability. Plus, many people will not be set up to cook under emergency conditions. Also, many are not familiar with how to cook from basic foods, and are likely to at least initially waste food and not be able to prepare it properly.

My intention is to do #2 by organizing #3. As noted below, I intend to have as much food on hand as possible, this will work to seed the project, but I am unlikely to be able to feed hundreds of people for months.

It also must be understood that organizing a soup kitchen/community kitchen goes hand in hand with organizing food gathering and production on a neighborhood level. E.g., wherever possible with the local weather, starting greenhouses and cold frames (and storing some quick maturing non-hybrid seed, although for the purposes of getting through to the summer, I am looking for some good deals on large quantities of early-maturing crops suitable for greenhouses, whether they are non-hybrid or hybrid.)

This also isn't "doing for," but rather, "doing with". Everybody pitches in and helps. Some (such as the elderly) may need meals delivered to them. Somebody needs to do that. There's set up, preparation, cooking, distribution, clean-up and prep for next meal afterwards. I suggest two meals a day until it is evident how food supplies are shaping up, a mid-morning (say 10-11 AM) and a late afternoon (4-5 PM).

In Kansas City, the Holy Family Catholic Worker House feeds 250-300 people every evening, 6 days a week, in a single family house. The kitchen is no larger than the average kitchen, and tables are set up in three rooms on the ground floor. People eat in shifts; they line up at the door, the number of people who can sit at the tables is allowed in, as somebody leaves, somebody is allowed to enter. They do some take-homes, these situations are checked out by somebody from the House in advance.

Here in Oklahoma City, I have organized the Archbishop Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House. One of the things we are doing is starting a food bank to work with the downtown St. Vincent De Paul (Catholic charitable organization) in providing grocery baskets as needed. With SVDP, a person calls for help, and a volunteer goes out and meets them, and sees what their situation is and their needs are. We will be delivering food baskets, rather than having the people come to the pantry.

One of the purposes of our ministry is to be an emergency center for this neighborhood, and a resource for others doing the same or similar things in their neighborhoods (not necessarily as Catholic Workers, of course). See printable flyers for distribution during y2k disruptions. They have room to be imprinted with a local address/group/location of a food bank or soup kitchen or other emergency center.

Typically,food banks hand out a "three day supply" of food. This is what is in the average basket handed out by a Catholic Worker house in Baltimore, Maryland:

Pork & Beans (2 cans) -- Powdered Milk (1 box, 8 quarts reconstituted) -- Tuna in water (2 cans) -- Green Vegetable (1 can) -- Cereal (1 box) -- Peanut Butter (18 oz jar) -- Macaroni and Cheese (2 boxes) -- Spaghetti Sauce (32 oz.)

If you have people in poor neighborhoods who want to do something practical, encourage them to think of themselves as emergency resource centers for their neighborhoods, each one the "seed" of a neighborhood network that can be grown very quickly if circumstances dictate, especially if somebody is ready to step forward and offer something practical for people to do.

Regarding people trying to get more than their share, well, it happens and you might as well get used to it emotionally right now. Making this as local as possible helps. I advise against doing something like marking hands or issuing ration ticket, this will likely be considered very offensive and cause more problems than it will resolve.

If the stores are closed for any length of time, it is likely that there will be govenrment distributions of basic foods, including wheat, soybeans, beans, dried milk, cheese, and even meat. In this situation, a community kitchen is virtually a necessity, since many people will not know what to do with a raw soybean or wheat berry. They might even be discombobulated by dried milk. A community kitchen can help me learn how to process the grain (by making improvised grain grinders from steel pipes or by using grinders available at the community kitchen, this is a very good reason for buying two or three extra of the inexpensive corona mills.) Once processed, the community kitchen helps people prepare it, and is an efficient way to use fuel.

Organizing a community kitchen provides a springboard for other sustainable community activities. E.g., one of the first things (besides serving dinner, of course) that should be done is the building of one of more outdoor community ovens. These could be built with materials found in most neighborhoods (bricks, mortar/cement or clay, a couple of large coffee cans, a bit of wood, etc. One thing that really facilitates such a project would be several of the large cardboard barrels, mold the mass of the oven over it, and then the form burns away in the first firing. If would be better if these were built in advance, but depending upon the temperature, in many areas they could be built in January. Large casseroles, bread, and meat or fish could be cooked therein.

Which reminds me to mention fishing as a good community food security projects, and maybe even catching some alive and trying to raise more in a barrel (I have never done this, but I am gathering info on it).

A community kitchen organization can also organize water fetching and purification. If boiling is the primary purification, here again there is some economy of scale in doing it as a neighborhood.

I'll be thinking of other useful things that could be posted in this thread.

Robert Waldrop

Archbishop Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Access to Catholic Social Justice Teachings

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), July 31, 1999.

After re-reading the original post in this thread, I'd like to offer the following:

>How do a dozen homes get together and feed 3 or 4 other houses?

IMHO, a dozen homes could be the nucleus of organizing a hundred homes each, or being the catalyst for feeding 1200 families. Note that I didn't say, "feed 1200 families", but rather, providing organizing and initial capital for developing community food security in an emergency situation.

>How do you store food so it's not all in one (vulnerable) location?

Keep things as local and as decentralized as possible. Think streets and blocks, not entire communities. Send missionaries to the next blocks or streets and tell them what you are doing and invite them to do the same on their streets/blocks and to cooperate with the other street/block community food security projects (I'm thinking about water again).

>How do you manage responsibilities?

One person is in charge, but he or she has to be a servant leader; autocracy will only irritate everybody. Consensus is going to be important, but leadership has to be there. Somebody should take minutes of any meetings, but don't get bogged down in organizational details. Be aware that a disaster affects people psychologically as well as physically, and the psychological issues may be as big a problem(if not bigger) as the actual presence or absence of resources. Leaders are also affected by this. It will be important to offer people opportunities to talk through all this.

>How do you control pilferage?

Windowless rooms (or plywood on windows, or heavy locked shutters). Strong doors and locks, and never leave it unattended by one of the primary workers.

>How do you make sure everyone gets some before anyone gets seconds?

At the Holy Family CW House in KCMO, anyone who wants seconds goes to the back of the line(don't worry about policing the line, the line polices itself).

>How do you help the needy while still intimidating the hoodlums?

Get the hoodlums on your side. If you know where they live, go over to them and invite them to dinner. Of course, they will have to help. Be respectful to everyone, but don't take abuse from anyone. People can express their dismay about what has happened at neighborhood talk-fests, do not allow venting on workers at the kitchen.

Some people reading this are thinking, "I can't believe he said that." I don't know that this will work everywhere, but it is what I am going to try first. If it doesn't work, we'll see about fall back plans.

The banner of a religion or recognized NGO or civil society organization can also be a protection. There's going to be a big cross on my front lawn, to go with the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue on the porch. People don't always respect Red Cross flags or churches, but it happens often enough that it shouldn't be discounted. (I also remember that monasteries in the more lawless areas or eras usually have/had strong and tall walls.)

>How do you ensure that the hungry aren't just cruising foodbank to >foodbank until they can't eat any more?

The best solution to this is to keep things as local as possible, be obsevant, and immediately start projects that increase community food security. A small minority of people cruise food banks now, everybody knows this, it's part of the cost of doing business, so to speak. For some it's the way they respond to desperation.

Robert Waldrop

-- robert waldrop (rmwj@soonernet.com), July 31, 1999.

"They might even be discombobulated by dried milk."

Sounds like a nominee for the Darwin award....

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 31, 1999.

My idea for a "soup kitchen" is this: You have to start by "priming the pump", that is make a good hearty soup. Everyone is welcome to come and eat. However, everyone who eats must bring a contribution to the next days soup: a cup of macaroni, a rabbit, a couple of tomatoes, a quart of water or a log for the fire. Almost everyone has something in the cupboard. One cannot make soup for the family out of a cup of macaroni, but everyone together can make a decent soup for all. Of course, not everyone can contribute but they can help in other ways. If someone is very hungry and returns for more they must bring more. I think that will take care of gluttons. Anyway, thats one small thought I have. I think it will work for small communities, but I'm not sure about larger ones. It might also pay to have armed guards for those who think to take by force what others have worked for.

-- Juniper (silverfox@milfordnet.com), July 31, 1999.

Once upon a time there was a famine and no one in the village had much to eat. A traveller came walking through the village. He has no food so he asked a few people if they would give him some, but they all said, "Sorry but we don't even have any for ourselves". So he proceeded to build a fire right in the middle of the main street. He put a pot of water on the fire, and gathered some rocks and put them in the pot.

One of the villagers asked him what he was doing. "I'm making stone soup," he replied. "You're crazy ! You can't make soup from stones." "Yes I can. Wait and see."

So some of the villagers hung around to watch the crazy man trying to make stone soup. After it was boiling, he tasted it. "Hows it taste?" someone shouted and they all laughed. "It could use some onion." he replied calmly.

"Well" , said one old lady, "I do have one old onion you can have." She gave it to him and he cut it up and put it in the pot. He tasted it again. "You know, stone soup really goes good with carrots" he commented. Another villager said. "I know were there's some wild carrots growing. They're too small and stringy for a real meal but they'd add flavor to your soup. " He went and picked the carrots and gave them to the traveler who put them in the soup."

Things went on like this for awhile and sure enough, they made enough stone soup to feed the whole village.

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 31, 1999.

Thanks to all of your for responses. Got a lot here to think about.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), August 02, 1999.

Ok, been thinking it over. Here is what I have so far. Feel free to let me know what you think. Hope I format this correctly!

Concepts

Protect the golden egg

Givers must show enough strength to deter assault

Scatter and secure food so a single theft won't lose it all

Put the kitchen near the geographical center of the givers' cluster

Take legitimacy from any organization that will lend its stamp

Leave receivers with dignity, as well as a meal

Do not mark people's bodies to tally meals

Ask people to contribute labor if they have no food

Ask people what they need, and give it if you can

Make the kitchen, not its food, the community asset

Give meals, not groceries, except in special circumstances

Make it the focal point for vegetable crops and fishing

Make the kitchen worth protecting, for everyone

Gardening and gathering

Ramp up as soon as the majority sees the shortage danger

Enlist idle hands as gardeners, especially those who have no food to give

Aim for maximum output regardless of season

Greenhouses, coldframes

Any kind of seed, don't sweat the hybrid question

Enlist local experts on gatherable foods, including fishing and hunting

Administration

Keep organization small and informal

need a servant/leader for the whole operation

need a garden/gathering manager if appropriate

need a kitchen manager or chief cook

need a food inventory manager

no roberts rules of order

Spawn new kitchens by urging/example

Be aware of where people come from

Help nearby housing clusters start their own kitchens

Kitchen Operation

Start with two meals a day - 10-11 and 4-5

Don't sweat it if people get seconds

Need tables and chairs in a sheltered location

Please continue to contribute to this thread!

-- bw (home@puget.sound), August 02, 1999.

Well, the indenting sure didn't work. Try again.

Concepts

...Protect the golden egg

......Givers must show enough strength to deter assault

......Scatter and secure food so a single theft won't lose it all

......Put the kitchen near the geographical center of the givers' cluster

......Take legitimacy from any organization that will lend its stamp

...Leave receivers with dignity, as well as a meal

......Do not mark people's bodies to tally meals

......Ask people to contribute labor if they have no food

......Ask people what they need, and give it if you can

...Make the kitchen, not its food, the community asset

......Give meals, not groceries, except in special circumstances

......Make it the focal point for vegetable crops and fishing

......Make the kitchen worth protecting, for everyone

Gardening and gathering

...Ramp up as soon as the majority sees the shortage danger

...Enlist idle hands as gardeners, especially those who have no food to give

...Aim for maximum output regardless of season

......Greenhouses, coldframes

...Any kind of seed, don't sweat the hybrid question

...Enlist local experts on gatherable foods, including fishing and hunting

Administration

...Keep organization small and informal

......need a servant/leader for the whole operation

......need a garden/gathering manager if appropriate

......need a kitchen manager or chief cook

......need a food inventory manager

......no roberts rules of order

...Spawn new kitchens by urging/example

......Be aware of where people come from

......Help nearby housing clusters start their own kitchens

Kitchen Operation

...Start with two meals a day - 10-11 and 4-5

...Don't sweat it if people get seconds

...Need tables and chairs in a sheltered location

-- bw (home@puget.sound), August 02, 1999.