Mutual Aid, at its core, is a community effort. These more informal organizations, run by everyday people and the working class, are better equipped to identify the main problems facing their communities by looking at the issues from the inside. Nonprofits and community organizations come together under the umbrella of Mutual Aid during times of crisis and have been instrumental in aiding the health and welfare of impacted communities throughout history. During this time of social distancing, it has been the social connectedness of communities that has helped thousands of people through this crisis.
If you attend the feeds on the weekend or the food distribution on Tuesdays, you will meet some true modern-day heroes. Several of the volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves without hesitation to set up and distribute food were once on the other side of the donation table and have been volunteering long before the Mutual Aid group formed. The food distributions feed approximately 81 individuals and 129 families each week. Houseless individuals make up a large portion of the people who receive help from Mutual Aid but there are also single parents, teachers, and anyone else who was left without support during the pandemic. The groups have partnered to provide more than just food security but also vaccinations for pets, haircuts, healthcare, and anything else people might need during these times.
