A Brief & Semi-Complete History of
Food Not Bombs
in St. Augustine

On a Monday afternoon in late November of 2003, our Food Not Bombs chapter served its very first meal. Angel, Jeff, and I braved the cool weather in order to serve. That day’s menu included vegetarian chili, cornbread, and cake. Loose Screws provided us with a place to serve (their parking lot), and we fed over twenty people. We continued to serve there for over a month, until the landlords of the property realized we had grander goals than just feeding the poor starving Flagler College students. Loose Screws still plays a vital role in Food Not Bombs. They have collected donations and stored supplies for us since day one, and we owe them a tremendous amount of gratitude for this.

Before I get ahead of myself, I should tell you how all of this got started in our town. We never would’ve gotten off the ground if it weren’t for Angel Rodriguez. She had traveled all over the country and encountered many Food Not Bombs groups along the way. They had fed her many times, so she wanted to give something back. When she arrived in St. Augustine, Angel showed us the ropes and laid the groundwork for everything. Brandon Hill and Macknay Allen have also been important to the group: giving us a place to cook in the early days, and doing some of the cooking themselves. They have always been friends to travelers, often opening up their home (Squat House #1) to those who had nowhere else to sleep. Unfortunately, they were evicted, and now Brandon, Angel, and others inhabit Squat House Version 2.0. Due to shortsighted landlord greed, they are also being evicted (though fighting against it as best as they can). Because of this, our kitchen may soon have to change location. But don’t worry! Food Not Bombs will continue to cook (probably at the Mi Casa) and serve regardless of the Squat House loss.

Unbeknownst to us at the beginning, we were not the first Food Not Bombs group to exist in St. Augustine. A chapter had existed a few years ago, but unfortunately died out. Some of the former members later introduced themselves to us, and they have offered their help and advice during our first year. We offer much thanks to them for their continued guidance.

October 1st marked a very important moment in the history of our chapter. To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we held a benefit show at Loose Screws. It was an amazing success! We collected over $300 in donations and a ridiculous amount of canned food. The event lasted over six hours, and included free food (provided by Food Not Bombs of course) and six incredible local bands: Dead End Streets, In Danger Of Dead, Gehlen Org, Porcelain Quim, Soulo, and St. Vegas. Thanks to all of the bands for playing (for free!), everyone for attending, Kat Vellos for covering it in Folio Weekly, and to the Loose Screws crew for organizing it and providing us with the space to do it.

So far, our Food Not Bombs chapter has been covered by Folio Weekly twice, and The Record once. Luckily, we have also had the great fortune of receiving no real harassment from the police for our activities. The only negative response we’ve really had is from a band in the Plaza called Mid Life Crisis. The Food Not Bombs crew and myself would like to remind them that helping others is much more beneficial to the community than playing crappy music and being pricks. We would also like to give them a hearty F@#% YOU for their disrespect and arrogance.

Food Not Bombs of St. Augustine now serves downtown in the Plaza de la Constitution. We’ve tried other locations, but so far this one seems to provide the best location for the majority of the people involved. At times, we’ve been able to serve four days a week due to the efforts of John, Swan, JD, and others. However, busy schedules and lack of transportation have forced us to be more sporadic. Food Not Bombs is looking for people who can cook, transport, and/or serve, so please call (824-5565) or stop by Loose Screws and leave us your contact information if you’re interested in helping. You can bring monetary donations or food to Loose Screws any day from noon to 10pm. Please make sure all food donations are vegetarian! We will also serve food at protests, rallies, marches, or other events if they support similar political/social goals. Thanks in advance for anything you can contribute!

I would like to say thank you again to all who have ever been a part of Food Not Bombs: to all who have ever helped serve, donated food or money, helped us dumpster dive, helped us cook or clean, transported supplies, come to our events, eaten with us, stuck up for us, spread the word, etc…You are what has been keeping us going, and we love you and thank you. Finally, a very special thank you to the Loose Screws crew for always being there for us- you know who you are. THANK YOU!!!