Boston Food Not Bombs

Food Not Bombs first started in Boston, MA in 1980 in protest of war and poverty. Food Not Bombs poses the question, “When over a billion people go hungry each day, how can we spend another dollar on war?” 

Food Not Bombs is a worldwide movement made up of hundreds of independent chapters that provide free vegan and vegetarian meals to anyone in their local communities who is hungry. The main conviction of Food Not Bombs is that food is a right, not a privilege. We recognize that so much food is wasted in the US and globally, yet people are still starving. We see this as violence.

We are structured non-hierarchically, which means we organize ourselves from within, and no one person tells anyone else what to do. We also make decisions based on consensus, which means we collaborate and synthesize all of our ideas and opinions until we reach a decision that we all feel is best for the group.

We are an open organization, which means that we welcome all kinds of new volunteers and that we strive to be inclusive. No cooking experience necessary! Rumor has it, people who start cooking with us never cook food in small quantities again. If you’re interested in how Food Not Bombs came about, read the history! Food Not Bombs originally started in Cambridge in 1980, although the group is always changing.

Join us and meet the current group of dedicated volunteers! Our Meal Schedule page includes important COVID-19 updates, and you can always contact us if you have additional questions about our precautions.