Food Not Bombs is a worldwide organization working to achieve several goals. According to their website, Food Not Bombs “is trying to inspire the public to participate in changing society and focus [their] resources on solving problems like hunger, homelessness and poverty while seeking an end to war and the destruction of the environment. [They] are also showing by example that [people] can work cooperatively without leaders through volunteer effort to provide essential needs like food, housing, education and healthcare.”

At the core of Food Not Bombs’ philosophy is the belief that hunger and poverty are not insurmountable challenges but rather curable issues in the face of abundant supplies and production. Michael, a volunteer, highlighted, “Food Not Bombs wants to show how little effort it would take to feed everyone and how much effort we put into warfare instead.” Kara, another volunteer, emphasized the inclusivity of Food Not Bombs, stating, “There is no line between those who serve and those who eat; there is no barrier to access.”  

In my conversation with volunteer Emi, they spoke about the profound impact of reconnecting with their community through Food Not Bombs: “Capitalism has removed the connection between community and my labor, but this restores that. I can see how my work actively helps people.” Reestablishing community bonds not only addresses immediate hunger but also fosters a sense of purpose and fulfillment among volunteers.

The volunteers discussed how much this work meant to them. Micheal told me “Food not bombs is not exhausting, extra work I have to do on my weekend. It fills my bucket.” Emi summed up the collective sentiment of volunteers, “When I get off work, I am looking forward to [volunteering].” I felt the eagerness and fulfillment that the volunteers described—even after just one visit. Sitting at the [food preparation] table, I engaged in conversations about current events and the philosophy of art while cutting up potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and corn. The atmosphere was remarkably relaxed, and the volunteers welcomed me with open arms.

Once the meal was ready, we all had the chance to taste our creation before serving it up. The ketchup potato and greens, paired with corn, tomatoes and peppers were delicious. It felt great to see and taste what we had made together. When it came time to serve the food, I felt a profound sense of fulfillment. The gratitude expressed by the recipients was palpable; their smiles and words of thanks resonated deeply. I found immense joy in serving, knowing that the collective efforts of myself and the other volunteers were making tangible differences in the lives of others.

Anyone can volunteer and I encourage you to do so. When I asked what makes a good volunteer Emi stressed the importance of cooperation, stating, “Cooperation is the best trait to bring. It’ll go way farther than any other skill.” Food Not Bombs thrives on the collaborative efforts of its volunteers, who come together to prepare and distribute meals, embodying the power of collective action. A fellow Jewell student who regularly volunteers with Food Not Bombs, B.J., says “It’s not often you find a group that balances feeding their community with respect for animals’ rights and efforts to address systemic issues that cause hunger and waste. It makes what I’m doing feel worthwhile every time.” 

By volunteering with Food Not Bombs, I became a part of a movement that believes in the inherent goodness of humanity and the ability to create positive change through collective action. You can do the same. Roll up your sleeves and witness the impact you can make by continuing to spread love, nourishment and hope to communities in need.

Flynn’s actions allegedly violated the Logan Act, a law that makes it a felony for private citizens to to negotiate with foreign governments. Whether or not Flynn violated the Logan Act is the subject of an ongoing investigation by U.S. officials. The FBI, which regularly monitors communications between Russia and the U.S., did not find any wrongdoing when it intercepted the communication last year. However, as of Feb. 9, the FBI is continuing to investigate the series of communications Flynn made. Among the subjects discussed were President Obama’s harsh response to Russia’s influence in the 2016 Election. Flynn later gave Vice President Mike Pence, among others, “incomplete information”—translation: he lied—regarding what he discussed.

The revelations should come as no surprise. Flynn has long had close ties with Vladimir Putin and his oligarchy. He regularly appeared on “Russia Today,” one of Putin’s many propaganda outlets, as an analyst. During one of his appearances, he stated “Russia has its own national security strategy, and we have to respect that.” The existence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization begs to differ. Flynn also famously appeared at a 2015 Russia Today Gala with Putin and Jill Stein, another hypocritical, self-proclaimed “people’s hero” who cozies up with autocrats. He’s even given paid speeches at these galas. It should come as no surprise, then, that many Russian lawmakers were upset with Flynn’s resignation Feb. 13 and swiftly came to his defense even after he left office.

Guilty or not, Flynn’s removal from office is a victory for Americans and global security. During Trump’s campaign, he regularly led “lock her up” chants, a reference to Secretary Hillary Clinton’s alleged crimes committed while mishandling emails, having a foundation for global health or whatever people think happened during the Benghazi attack. Flynn said that Clinton “does not know the difference between a lie and the truth.” Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, so it might be time for “lock him up” chants.

Flynn also supported the hateful speech by members of the alt-right on Twitter, along with the furthering of conspiracy theories. Keep in mind, Michael Flynn was once the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency as a U.S. Army Lieutenant General. To list off all of Flynn’s offensive or downright false tweets would take too long (though CNN put together a nice anthology), but many of them include equating Islam with terrorism. One particular tweet includes a link to a video in which Flynn calls the ridiculous assertion that the terror group ISIS is practicing Islam the “most powerful message I’ve heard in a long time.” Flynn also famously tweeted “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL” with a link to a video falsely claiming that Muslims want 80 percent of the world exterminated or enslaved. Off Twitter, Flynn has also called Islam “a cancer.” It’s disappointing, especially coming from someone who was once part of the U.S.’s titan intelligence community in which patriotic American Muslims regularly put away a lot of terrorists. Perhaps it shouldn’t too disappointing, since Flynn was fired from that post.

Flynn also furthered fake news from champions of Nazism and other taboo societal views. One such champion was Mike Cernovich, who once tweeted “Have you guys ever tried ‘raping’ a girl without using force? Try it. It’s basically impossible. Date rape does not exist.” Cernovich later deleted the tweet like the coward he is. Flynn also retweeted posts by Milo Yiannopoulos, another alt-right closet Nazi who got himself banned from Twitter and enjoys a disturbingly large numbers of shares on Facebook. In Flynn’s defense, his posts were often made to disparage Muslims or attack Clinton and not explicitly espouse other alt-right ideas like anti semitism or white nationalism, but our political apparatus should include figures who reject falsehoods, conspiracy theories, hate speech and the comments of ideologies like Nazism, anarchy and fascism that have no place in our society.

And that’s why Flynn’s resignation is a victory. Trump’s inner circle of crazy ladies, shady businessmen and vaguely evil propagandists has taken a hit with the fall of Michael T. Flynn. Trump’s easily-convinced ears now have fewer people telling him, among other things, that American Muslims aim to kill us all. But it’s only a drop in the bucket: Steve Bannon still holds a permanent seat on the National Security Council while General Joseph Dunford, a modern McCarthy and the highest ranking member of the military, is left in the dark. But seeing how we’re only a few weeks in, the quick collapse of Trump’s circle of cronies is off to a good start. The sooner it’s gone, the sooner the United States can get back on-track.