A vegetarian food bank for anyone who claims to be vegetarian or "trying to be" vegetarian. The next opening will be their third. Their first two were positioned on a funny date of the month: right after ODSP comes out. In a way, it was a good idea: reward people for their good planning, remind us that we're gonna run out of food money anyway, might as well get started with the free food early in the pay cycle, and maybe showing those who receive no benefits a bit of a break. But still, it was a bit confounding. Now they're planning on having it on the third saturday of each month. So... right when everybody's hurting real bad and it's hard to get anywhere or do anything. They're gonna get fucking swamped.
It's at 270 GERRARD ST. E., mercifully late in the day between noon and 4pm. It takes forever to get screened and wait for the food. But it's a big haul. Bring a big backpack or something. Bring bags full of bags. They've also been serving some great soups.
The site is http://tvfb.ca/, not http://www.vegfoodbank.ca/
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
Doing your laundry without a washing machine
Oh sure, there's free laundry services available. There's the Meeting Place. There used to be CONC. RIP CONC. And there's Regent Park Community Health. Awesome. They all suck. They're all fucking scary. They're all a huge pain. There's this weird assumption that somehow, if you have an apartment or some kind of housing, you magically have a laundromat budget. Or a washer & dryer in your place. Wouldn't that be amazing? That would be so cool. But you don't. You have a pile of dirty clothes, you have dirty clothes on your body, you have a bathtub or shower or something like that which is also probably dirty, and you have a bucket, and you can go out and find one of those plastic things that holds milk. Egg/milk crates, whatever they are. And a toilet. If you have all those things, even if you don't have a shower, as long as you have something you can use to fill the bucket with water, you can do laundry. And something to dry it on, like a radiator or a heater or a sunny window or something. A teepee with a fire in it, whatever. And either some laundry soap or some hand soap or some shampoo or some lemons or some baking soda or vinegar or borax or some fuckin' thing to soften up the water. If you're washing wool, just use either shampoo or vinegar. But yeah, here's how to do it:
You put the clothes into the bucket with your softened water. Just use as little product as you can possibly get away with. It's better to have to wash your clothes again because you didn't use enough, than to have to spend all day rinsing clothes by hand and foot, because holy shit, soap is hard to get out. That's another good reason to use vinegar, baking soda or dumpster-dived lemons... because it's way easier to rinse that stuff out. Rinsing is gonna be your biggest pain in the ass. If you've got something that's super dirty, grab a scrub brush and scrub it. But yeah, basically a bucket to soak stuff in, step on it with your feet, squeeze it with your hands, whatever you gotta do to force that water through that clothing.
The plastic crate thing is for getting water out of your garment. Draining. You drain the water out after washing and before each rinse, so you get as much soapy water out as possible. And then of course you also do that before drying, so it's not dripping while you're drying the shit. Sucks to have a big puddle under your drying clothes. If you've got shower or a tub or you're doing this outside, you can also use the crate to rinse and dry stuff out faster by kind of shaking it. Shaking the water out of it. Maybe while pouring other water on top of it, with the shower or whatever you have. The cool thing about doing your laundry manually is that you can tell when it's clean: the rinse water runs clear instead of all dirty and stuff. You want to be rinsing into a toilet, or into something that can handle a lot of dust, bits and pieces of stuff, bits of fabric, hair, all that stuff. This is why it's not great to do it in a bathtub, unless you've got a drain filter on it. You know, one of those little metal filter things. Clogging your bathtub is a great way to get evicted. So whatever you're draining it into, make sure it's either filtered or up to the task of evacuating a ton of particles. Because that's what's in your dirty laundry: shitloads of little particles of hair, fabric, dust, bits of skin, all that shit.
When people first learn how to make soup, they usually make the mistake of doing massive soups. Which turns into a deterrent to doing it often. Same thing with laundry. Just do a few garments at a time, or even just one. Do small loads often. That's the way. It's easy to bite off more than you can chew and end up with a pile of half-clean, still-soapy, wet clothes, your hands and legs all numb from trying to rinse them, roommates outside your bathroom being like "what the fuck dude I need to shower to go to work because yeah I work, I have a job, I work, I have a job, I have this thing called a job..." on and on and on. They think you need reminding. They think you need motivating. They think without motivation, you're not going to magically change your life around. They think it really is a matter of you just deciding to stop being a loser. They think that because it helps them have their shitty attitude about poverty that's necessary for them to live their lives as they do. They'll get theirs. They'll have that day where they lose their job and just can't find a new one. And for now, they need to remind you that they have a job and you don't. Because they need to either ignore politics or support politicians who want you to get even less support than you do. They need their mentality. So that's why they do that shit. So you want to not let them find out you're doing your laundry in the bathroom. So just do it one piece at a time and make it seem like you gotta take lots of little shits or something. You can even break up the act of laundering one thing, like a bedsheet or something, into a few sessions, so you're not in the bathroom for too long at any given time. That's a good trick.
If you can, dry your stuff in the sun. The sun's rays have radiation in them, which is good for decontaminating stuff. It'll reduce the possibility of mold, stankiness, all that shit you're trying to avoid. So if you have a window that gets some sun, maybe with a space heater underneath it, that's awesome. If you're in the bush and you have a clear plastic tarp that you can put up and make a little clear tent out of, that's awesome. The problem with drying your stuff over a fire is, it'll always smell like campfire, and employed, housed people will want to talk about that all the time. They'll take any opportunity to remind you that you're doing things wrong by not just choosing to magically have a different life. There's nothing you can really say to hide the fact that you're camping in the bush, which to them means you're also a crack addict, even if you're not, people don't have the capacity to believe that you'd be camping unless you do have some kind of serious substance abuse issue, so there you are. You have to be OK with them thinking you're on lots of crack. And being surprised that none of the behaviors are there. There's just no way to get them to understand what's actually going on. So this is one of the reasons it's hard to maintain a job or a relationship or something that's outside the poverty world when you're living in poverty. Because even if you're not drying your clothes on a fire, handwashed clothes are just different. Sun-dried clothes are just different. If your clothes don't smell like detergent and fabric softener, and don't seem like they were washed in a washer and dried in a dryer, that brings you one step closer to losing the job, the girlfriend, the boyfriend, the housing, whatever it is. Because to people who aren't living in poverty, and even some who are, it means one thing: crack. And surely, soon, meth. But people are a little slow to catch on. People don't even have heroin in their consciousness, which is funny because it's hugely popular. But yeah, one way or the other, they need to think that poverty is because of drug addiction, and drug addiction means uselessness, so as great as it is to be able to do your laundry without cost, it's also going to bring you further into poverty as long as there's something outside the poverty world that you're trying to hang on to.
You put the clothes into the bucket with your softened water. Just use as little product as you can possibly get away with. It's better to have to wash your clothes again because you didn't use enough, than to have to spend all day rinsing clothes by hand and foot, because holy shit, soap is hard to get out. That's another good reason to use vinegar, baking soda or dumpster-dived lemons... because it's way easier to rinse that stuff out. Rinsing is gonna be your biggest pain in the ass. If you've got something that's super dirty, grab a scrub brush and scrub it. But yeah, basically a bucket to soak stuff in, step on it with your feet, squeeze it with your hands, whatever you gotta do to force that water through that clothing.
The plastic crate thing is for getting water out of your garment. Draining. You drain the water out after washing and before each rinse, so you get as much soapy water out as possible. And then of course you also do that before drying, so it's not dripping while you're drying the shit. Sucks to have a big puddle under your drying clothes. If you've got shower or a tub or you're doing this outside, you can also use the crate to rinse and dry stuff out faster by kind of shaking it. Shaking the water out of it. Maybe while pouring other water on top of it, with the shower or whatever you have. The cool thing about doing your laundry manually is that you can tell when it's clean: the rinse water runs clear instead of all dirty and stuff. You want to be rinsing into a toilet, or into something that can handle a lot of dust, bits and pieces of stuff, bits of fabric, hair, all that stuff. This is why it's not great to do it in a bathtub, unless you've got a drain filter on it. You know, one of those little metal filter things. Clogging your bathtub is a great way to get evicted. So whatever you're draining it into, make sure it's either filtered or up to the task of evacuating a ton of particles. Because that's what's in your dirty laundry: shitloads of little particles of hair, fabric, dust, bits of skin, all that shit.
When people first learn how to make soup, they usually make the mistake of doing massive soups. Which turns into a deterrent to doing it often. Same thing with laundry. Just do a few garments at a time, or even just one. Do small loads often. That's the way. It's easy to bite off more than you can chew and end up with a pile of half-clean, still-soapy, wet clothes, your hands and legs all numb from trying to rinse them, roommates outside your bathroom being like "what the fuck dude I need to shower to go to work because yeah I work, I have a job, I work, I have a job, I have this thing called a job..." on and on and on. They think you need reminding. They think you need motivating. They think without motivation, you're not going to magically change your life around. They think it really is a matter of you just deciding to stop being a loser. They think that because it helps them have their shitty attitude about poverty that's necessary for them to live their lives as they do. They'll get theirs. They'll have that day where they lose their job and just can't find a new one. And for now, they need to remind you that they have a job and you don't. Because they need to either ignore politics or support politicians who want you to get even less support than you do. They need their mentality. So that's why they do that shit. So you want to not let them find out you're doing your laundry in the bathroom. So just do it one piece at a time and make it seem like you gotta take lots of little shits or something. You can even break up the act of laundering one thing, like a bedsheet or something, into a few sessions, so you're not in the bathroom for too long at any given time. That's a good trick.
If you can, dry your stuff in the sun. The sun's rays have radiation in them, which is good for decontaminating stuff. It'll reduce the possibility of mold, stankiness, all that shit you're trying to avoid. So if you have a window that gets some sun, maybe with a space heater underneath it, that's awesome. If you're in the bush and you have a clear plastic tarp that you can put up and make a little clear tent out of, that's awesome. The problem with drying your stuff over a fire is, it'll always smell like campfire, and employed, housed people will want to talk about that all the time. They'll take any opportunity to remind you that you're doing things wrong by not just choosing to magically have a different life. There's nothing you can really say to hide the fact that you're camping in the bush, which to them means you're also a crack addict, even if you're not, people don't have the capacity to believe that you'd be camping unless you do have some kind of serious substance abuse issue, so there you are. You have to be OK with them thinking you're on lots of crack. And being surprised that none of the behaviors are there. There's just no way to get them to understand what's actually going on. So this is one of the reasons it's hard to maintain a job or a relationship or something that's outside the poverty world when you're living in poverty. Because even if you're not drying your clothes on a fire, handwashed clothes are just different. Sun-dried clothes are just different. If your clothes don't smell like detergent and fabric softener, and don't seem like they were washed in a washer and dried in a dryer, that brings you one step closer to losing the job, the girlfriend, the boyfriend, the housing, whatever it is. Because to people who aren't living in poverty, and even some who are, it means one thing: crack. And surely, soon, meth. But people are a little slow to catch on. People don't even have heroin in their consciousness, which is funny because it's hugely popular. But yeah, one way or the other, they need to think that poverty is because of drug addiction, and drug addiction means uselessness, so as great as it is to be able to do your laundry without cost, it's also going to bring you further into poverty as long as there's something outside the poverty world that you're trying to hang on to.
Coffee without a coffee budget, without soup kitchen times...
Oh shit, it's another article about dumpster diving. Sort of.
Basically, used espresso grounds make good coffee. You boil them. When espresso is made, the waste product is like... these puck-shaped things of coffee. It's finely-ground, and if you boil it, it makes great coffee. Better coffee than you're going to find at soup kitchens.
So what you need is a pot and maybe some cheesecloth. Cheesecloth is this stuff that people at the grocery store pretend doesn't exist and often put along with the cleaning supplies. But it's for making cheese (and pot butter), and straining stuff. It's like... a re-usable coffee filter that won't break.
So you go into a cafe that makes espresso and pretend you're collecting it to put it in your compost. Or you just tell them, yeah, I have no food budget and this is how I make my coffee. It tastes great. Just be like "hi can I grab your used espresso grounds please?" and yeah most working people need whatever opportunity they can get to treat an unemployed person like shit, but other than that, they'll probably give you the fucking coffee. Or just search their dumpsters for it. Which might be illegal. It's hard to find out. You'll find out when you're in jail for it. Toronto police have told the public that they don't tend to interrupt dumpster divers unless it seems like they're stealing documents, making a mess, or have some kind of malicious intent. Anyway, you'll be surprised how many places will just give you the fucking coffee, especially if you show up at the end of the work day. Then you just gotta make sure to keep it cold, which during the winter isn't super hard, or use it up before it goes off. Because it being wet will make it go off. Or you can actually dry it out. But whatever. Just refrigerate it and drop it into your water either once the water's started boiling or right at the beginning. You need maybe twice or three times the amount of espresso grounds that you'd use if it were just straight-up outta-the-package coffee grounds. It's garbage, right? There's no such thing as coffee that's too strong; you can just water it down if it's too serious for you. So... maybe a handful of coffee for two mugs of water? Then you boil it 'til it stops foaming, and then if you can't wait for your coffee buzz, pour it through your cheesecloth right away, and if you have no cheesecloth, just wait for the coffee grounds to settle, and then pour the coffee off the top.
So that's the basic catch: it's not normal coffee grounds, so just pouring hot water through it won't work. You have to boil it. And it's because all that's been done to it is it's had hot water poured through it, that it still has loads of coffee-ness left.
After you're done, the used-twice espresso grounds are great for washing yourself with, or washing anything, actually. As long as it's something that you can rinse them off of. It's better for washing your body and your hair than soap or shampoo. Leaves your skin feeling motherfucking smooth. Partially because it exfoliates, partially because it's got a wonderful acid in there so it's kind of like using vinegar, and it's got a wonderful oil in there so it's kind of like using olive oil. But yeah, it makes awesome coffee too.
Apart from allowing you to have coffee at home when otherwise you'd have to go to some sketchy soup kitchen for it, this is kind of a good thing to do anyway. You're reducing someone else's waste. And you can get higher-quality coffee because you don't have to buy it. So pick a cafe that uses actual good stuff. You might even be able to find awesome organic coffee.
Basically, used espresso grounds make good coffee. You boil them. When espresso is made, the waste product is like... these puck-shaped things of coffee. It's finely-ground, and if you boil it, it makes great coffee. Better coffee than you're going to find at soup kitchens.
So what you need is a pot and maybe some cheesecloth. Cheesecloth is this stuff that people at the grocery store pretend doesn't exist and often put along with the cleaning supplies. But it's for making cheese (and pot butter), and straining stuff. It's like... a re-usable coffee filter that won't break.
So you go into a cafe that makes espresso and pretend you're collecting it to put it in your compost. Or you just tell them, yeah, I have no food budget and this is how I make my coffee. It tastes great. Just be like "hi can I grab your used espresso grounds please?" and yeah most working people need whatever opportunity they can get to treat an unemployed person like shit, but other than that, they'll probably give you the fucking coffee. Or just search their dumpsters for it. Which might be illegal. It's hard to find out. You'll find out when you're in jail for it. Toronto police have told the public that they don't tend to interrupt dumpster divers unless it seems like they're stealing documents, making a mess, or have some kind of malicious intent. Anyway, you'll be surprised how many places will just give you the fucking coffee, especially if you show up at the end of the work day. Then you just gotta make sure to keep it cold, which during the winter isn't super hard, or use it up before it goes off. Because it being wet will make it go off. Or you can actually dry it out. But whatever. Just refrigerate it and drop it into your water either once the water's started boiling or right at the beginning. You need maybe twice or three times the amount of espresso grounds that you'd use if it were just straight-up outta-the-package coffee grounds. It's garbage, right? There's no such thing as coffee that's too strong; you can just water it down if it's too serious for you. So... maybe a handful of coffee for two mugs of water? Then you boil it 'til it stops foaming, and then if you can't wait for your coffee buzz, pour it through your cheesecloth right away, and if you have no cheesecloth, just wait for the coffee grounds to settle, and then pour the coffee off the top.
So that's the basic catch: it's not normal coffee grounds, so just pouring hot water through it won't work. You have to boil it. And it's because all that's been done to it is it's had hot water poured through it, that it still has loads of coffee-ness left.
After you're done, the used-twice espresso grounds are great for washing yourself with, or washing anything, actually. As long as it's something that you can rinse them off of. It's better for washing your body and your hair than soap or shampoo. Leaves your skin feeling motherfucking smooth. Partially because it exfoliates, partially because it's got a wonderful acid in there so it's kind of like using vinegar, and it's got a wonderful oil in there so it's kind of like using olive oil. But yeah, it makes awesome coffee too.
Apart from allowing you to have coffee at home when otherwise you'd have to go to some sketchy soup kitchen for it, this is kind of a good thing to do anyway. You're reducing someone else's waste. And you can get higher-quality coffee because you don't have to buy it. So pick a cafe that uses actual good stuff. You might even be able to find awesome organic coffee.
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