FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Food for Thought" is an information vane. It comes together with free bread, donated by local bakeries. No one gets paid for recuperating bread while the bakery does not ask tax receits.

The initial idea was to set up free bread buskets in all the places frequented by low income people and to distribute thought-provoking information with it. It could become an alternative to Food Banks and their heavy beurocratic structure, which requires needy person to make an appointment, and undergo a thorough examination of his-her miserable condition.

I contacted various Community centers, Soup Kitchens run by the Church, and Schools for New Immigrants. Without hesitation all of them said "No" to my proposal. The reason given was: "It is not our mandate". It looks like our society is not ready for something so simple and obvious as to distribute exces food without some "professional of the bleeding heart" profiting from it.

I took another road and began to recuperate and distribute free food through personal connections. People whom I knew, in turn, created little groups of bread distribution among their friends and so on.

This activity should not to be confused with dumpster diving. I believe that food should never end up in a dumpster. Ideally, we should produce only that which is required. Alas, our economy is based upon over production. So why not recuperate what is destined to be thrown out anyhow? Often organizations which over produce food don't like to throw it themselves, but they are too busy trying to do their business.

Ironically, one can get for free bread only from the best bakeries. To charge the top dollar, they have to get rid of the day old bred. There is nothing wrong with that bread, but people would not pay 5 or 8 dollars per loaf unless it is "virgin", directly from the oven. So my "customers" get top quality day old bread without paying a penny. It does not disrupt Bakery's business in any way-their customers can afford the freshest bread, while my"customers" would not shop in that bakery anyhow. "One man's junk is another man's treasure" goes the adige. As true as ever.

Though I distribute food, I realise that there is no point in trying to make life easier for people who are mentally caught in a consumer race. Why help save money to someone who will use liberated resources to buy a bigger tv? Unfortunatelly, poor people very often are uneducated consumers. That's why ideas and education are equally if not more important than food in the fight to eliminate poverty.

One can bring the horse to the water, but one can make it drink the water, so for the time being we simply provide free food and on the wrapping paste links to various thought-provoking articles. If you have suggestions what to publish, please email me at imarimossi@gmail.com

Edition#1: "SILENCE"by John Zerzan.