Davis residents who want to give more than a can of food this holiday season might consider volunteering with Food Not Bombs.

The student-run effort brings people to the kitchen in the spirit of giving, having served fresh vegetarian meals to the Davis community — especially those less well-off — every week for the past 10 years.

Stroll through Central Park around 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, and you will see the benches under the large oak tree transformed into an unassuming outdoor buffet.

Behind the row of brimming pots and bowls, a simple cardboard sign displays the words "Food Not Bombs," and a raised fist clutching a carrot. This weekly event welcomes anyone looking for a meal, thanks to the efforts of the student co-ops and Davis resident Roger Ford.

Ford's work as a DJ on KDVS 90.3 brought him to the heart of Food Not Bombs nine years ago.

After seeing numerous bands sport the fisted carrot logo on their guitars and drum sets, he met the founders of the newly formed Davis chapter at a benefit concert. Every Sunday since, he has taken a four-hour nap after his midnight-to-3 a.m. punk radio show before waking up to help with Food Not Bombs.

'Sprouted up'

A group of anti-nuclear activists from Cambridge, Mass., started the first Food Not Bombs group in 1980. Since then, hundreds of autonomous groups have sprouted up to serve meals across the country and around the world.

The group's name reflects a commitment to nonviolence, and a protest that the United States could feed all of its hungry citizens if resources were directed towards social causes instead of weapons.

In Davis, the student co-ops on campus have taken the cooking effort under their wing. Each week, students collect leftover food from the Delta of Venus café on B Street, and several boxes of produce from the Davis Food Co-op that is too ripe to sell.

Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon, anyone who wishes to help gathers in the kitchen of the Pierce or Agrarian Effort co-ops to prepare this food that would otherwise go to waste, and serve it to the needy. In these kitchens, no one is in charge, meaning, everyone is in charge.

Anyone who can chop a carrot and has a desire to help can jump right in. Huge pots bubble with something savory, while a giant wok sizzles with a colorful medley of vegetables.

Students fumble through boxes for the freshest fruit or unbruised tomatoes. Soups, salads and stir-fry have become culinary staples for creatively using the hodgepodge of ingredients that changes each week. When the co-op donates a boxful of limes, these resourceful folks make limeade.

Prior to joining Food Not Bombs, "I didn't even know how to cook," Ford admitted. "I never even cut a vegetable before in my life." Now, after the experience of preparing several meals solo, he can chop three or four vegetables at once.

The number of volunteers he works with is subject to variation — some weeks are a competition for counter space, while others find two or three people scrambling to finish cooking before bringing the food to Central Park at 12:30 p.m.

For Merril Lavezzo, a co-op resident and third-year major in Spanish and community and regional development, volunteering for Food Not Bombs combines all the right elements — cooking, coming outside, and hanging out in the park.

The experience has also touched her social conscience.

"It's opened my eyes to homelessness in Davis," she said. "It's good to see that not everyone has what we have."

Ford would like to increase awareness and involvement among the Davis community.

"There are 120 people homeless in Davis, whether the city wants to admit it or not," he said, including the occasional student who lives out of a car. "There's enough food thrown away in Davis every day that we could feed everybody for free."

Meals served by Food Not Bombs bridge this gap between excess and necessity unlike any soup kitchen.

Here, there are no requirements to meet, no hoops for the homeless to jump through. It is more like a picnic in the park, a personal interaction that makes Food Not Bombs so special.

"I like that you get to see the efforts of your community service," Lavezzo said. "I get to talk to people and hear their story."

During the holidays, Food Not Bombs is often strapped for volunteers in Davis. When the student community heads home, those without homes depend on the generosity of other Davis residents.

Getting involved

Interested community members can call Roger Ford at (530) 759-0835 to find out how they can volunteer their time this holiday season and throughout the year.

Erin Loury is a student intern in the UC Davis News Service.