ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY AID
“Your ability to build mutual aid will determine whether we win the world we long for or dive further into crisis.” Mutual aid is collective coordination to meet each other’s needs usually from systems we have in place are not going to meet them. As we face more worsening conditions, we must come together and create pathways to sustain ourselves.
Mutual aid is an organizational model where voluntary, collaborative exchanges of resources and services for common benefit take place amongst community members to overcome social, economic, and political barriers to meeting common needs. This can include physical resources like food, clothing, or medicine, as well as services like breakfast programs or education. These groups are often built for the daily needs of their communities, but mutual aid groups are also found throughout relief efforts, such as in natural disasters or pandemics like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid an unrelenting pandemic, economic crisis, and increasing climate disasters, the need for mutual aid networks has grown significantly. These crises expose the deeply rooted systemic inequalities in our society—including in humanitarian aid. And mutual aid has always played a role in filling those gaps.
"Capitalism and colonialism created structures that have disrupted how people have historically connected with eachother and shared everything they needed to survive.” - Mutual Aid by Dean Spade
We recommend this book to all activist and folks wanting to do more.
Join our team to be apart of creating systems that will improve all of our universal needs within our communities. Sustenance, safety and security, love, understanding or empathy, creativity, sense of belonging, and autonomy. We can feed each other, clothe eachother, educate eachother, share resources and skills and much more. We would love to have you on our team so we can be successful in our efforts.
Fill out our volunteer form at https://forms.gle/NNCyHC57jmunb1177 or scan the QR code. To learn more on eoaohiondivisible.org/mutualaid
Table of Contents on this Page
Free Lunches and Holiday Dinners/Breakfasts
Sexual Violence Awareness Workshops
SNAP and Medicaid Information Workshops
How To Create Community Systems
HOW TO CREATE COMMUNITY SYSTEMS
WITHOUT MONEY, SOCIAL MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
It’s time we start helping out our community and those in it as much as we possibly can. Mutual aid is crucial in times especially like these and even the smallest of things can get someone through their day. We are gathering a complete list of every mutual aid group, event or fundraising/drives in our district. Where we can find resources and our basic necessities. From food to shelter to DV help and therapy. To clothes and blankets, free plan B or HIV testing. Any and all. We are also trying to create a system to help us through the winter and probably the incoming years.
Under our community resources page, you will find all of these resources we know we have in our areas or where to find what you would need. More is being added as we find them for you. Our resources can also be found there one we have it all organized.
Eventually we hope to create a bigger system that involves everyone including small businesses. As the times change and more of us struggle and struggle harder we are going to need our community to lean on and that is us. We all have a role in the revolution and we’re here when you’re ready with a wide range of different things you can choose from.
Do you have a skill, talent, expertise in a trade or hobby, or a small business and are interested in being apart of and participating in our community-focused mutual aid efforts we’re hoping to create and sustain? It also doesn't have to be an essential trade. Joy and beauty is also included. Cashless credit or time banking/swap or sharing. We want to lift everyone up to their best selves. Providing basic needs and positive conditions will help us all.
Example: If you make candles, you can help if we lose electricity and folks can offer . They do not have to only be essentials, joy is also resistance and also a necessity. Handy person? Help those who are in need of those kinds of services. Retired teacher? Help kids with furthering their education. If you babysit or have a teen daughter that babysits, help our group members have child care for meetings, protests, etc. You might make candles and someone couldn’t pay their electric bill. Retired teacher wanting to help educate our rural communities with classes. You have a nice table you want to get rid of and a photographer would like to have it. Trade a session for the table. You want your nails done and you know how to bake, trade nail service for some baked goods. Someone makes honey and another has eggs, swap the goods. We can swap music, books, movies, games, puzzles, etc and give back when finished. Much much more.
Let me get us started. -Taryn
I can offer photography services, doing your nails salon style, help with homeschooling for 3rd or 4th graders (I could work on other grade curriculums if needed as well). I am creating along with others a kids gardening class to feed the community, a free class and community garden. I can help folks with their house care, or yard work if needed. I would be able to help with transportation when available, provide meals for community dinners and delivery with others help, join women for support and sense of protection court if and when needed, get folks groceries if they are unable to get there. I could have free projector movie nights for the community and plan other kinds of fun activities and more.
We all have needs and we all have something to offer, no matter how big or small. What are your needs? What could help improve your daily life? Do you have something you would offer or contribute to our community?
Form is here! https://forms.gle/NNCyHC57jmunb1177
WAYS TO BE SUSTAINABLE AND BUILD COMMUNITY
HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY
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Leave your house
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Meet and learn to know your neighbors
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Meet people
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Talk to folks on your walks in your neighborhood
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Sit on your stoop more often
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Use your local library
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Share what you have
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Help a lost dog
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Take your kids to the park
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Pick up litter
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Show up to your local public school meetings
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Show up to your local council/board meetings
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Buy from local merchants with your values
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Fit it even if you didn't break it
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Hire young folks for odd easy jobs
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Volunteer at your local pantries, shelters or nursing homes
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Donate to your local food pantry, shelter or home
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Attend your local events
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Organize a pot luck or block party
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Garden together
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Barter for goods (mentioned above)
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Ask for help when you need it
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Help someone who needs help
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Share your skills and knowledge (mentioned above)
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Host a clothes swap
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Create method of survival and share with your neighbors
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Host protests or rallies to spread awareness (mentioned on take action page)
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Speak up in public spaces
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Practice empathy
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Start a tradition with your friends, family or neighbors
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Boycott those who don't support your person or community
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Take care of the environment around you
DUMPSTER DIVING
Saving waste from dumpsters is legal as long as they are on public city street. Also if you have permission of the owner of the company or building. Although this practice (or the way they got around it in law) should not be illegal due to all the corporate waste.
https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/
EXAMPLES OF MUTUAL AID
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Create a food pantry (were trying to have little libraries built in Adams county)
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Supper clubs or pot lucks.
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If you're an educator you could help host workshops or classes.
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If you make candles you can help if we lose our electricity and we can trade what we’re able.
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Sharing music, movies, puzzle, games etc. Take and give back system.
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Free friends and/or family events and activities (we have Appalachian Edge Ohio Indivisible Community Aid we’ll be getting back to very very soon if you'd like to help, we need it)
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Community garden or if you grow food, can provide food for our network. (Our lead has space for a large garden to grow and feed our communities)
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Help with home projects.
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Dumpster diving and give away what you find.
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Water each others plants when one goes out of town.
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You can also add some ideas, just email us! (Add at the end the county you live in)
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare for All Ohioans
EDUCATION
Honesty for Ohio Education
Secular Education Association (Formerly Parents Against Lifewise Ohio)