Isla Vista residents gathered at Little Acorn Park on Feb. 23 to share a free vegan dinner hosted by Food Not Bombs Isla Vista and the MultiCultural Center. Volunteers served meals to about 50 attendees, including students, homeless people and other Isla Vista residents.

Food Not Bombs event had 50 attendees. Hanz Herman/Daily Nexus

Members of Food Not Bombs Isla Vista denied requests for interview due to the horizontal structure of their organization, preferring to provide a joint statement to the Daily Nexus that represented their shared values. 

Food Not Bombs Isla Vista has been distributing vegan meals in I.V. since 2008 as an independent chapter of the global Food Not Bombs movement that was started by anti-nuclear activists in 1980s Massachusetts. In a joint statement to the Nexus, Food Not Bombs Isla Vista leadership stated that through its weekly dinners, they have “shared healthy vegan food, built relationships with the local farmers and Food Co-op, [and] learned more about the needs in our community.” Their Sunday dinners take place every week at 5 p.m. at Little Acorn Park.

The UCSB MultiCultural Center (MCC) sponsored the dinner by giving Food Not Bombs money for food and supplies, as well as promoting the event on their website. There were crock pots full of warm food and containers of yogurt and other sides, which volunteers scooped onto plates. 

“Part of our mission is to do community outreach,” Den Earl Dulos, fourth-year English major and MCC lead programming assistant, said. “I jumped on that opportunity to collaborate with them and added more on top of that — what can the MCC do to provide more items or things that the community needs?”

MCC staff also distributed basic necessities such as hand warmers, wool socks and dental hygiene kits. 

“Especially during winter quarter, I was thinking of heat warmers, and scarves, and tarps and basic needs that people would need especially during winter time, where it’s kind of harder to get,” Dulos said.

Some participants used the event as an opportunity to meet new people.

 “It’s the weekend, and it’s a good place to come, to see people,” local community member Bem Byamitruev said.  

Attendees expressed that the event was more than just a meal; it was also about the values Food Not Bombs stands for. In their release to the Nexus, Food Not Bombs Isla Vista stated, “Healthy food and community are basic needs everyone deserves access to. Join us on Sundays at 5 at Little Acorn Park if you’d like to be a part of it together!”