There are a lot of ways to support the movement of grassroots, liberatory disaster relief, and there are so many communities experiencing acute crisis between climate disasters and COVID19. Additionally, disasters often take years to recover from and communities and local groups organizing recovery experience ongoing financial and material need for disasters that mainstream media consider old news.
Below are a few ways you can financially support these critical ongoing efforts:
SUPPORTING MUTUAL AID DISASTER RELIEF’S WORK
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is a bottom-up, people powered, all volunteer network supporting impacted communities, especially those most marginalized, during crises. Mutual Aid Disaster Relief acts without bureaucracy or red tape and our flexible approach is able to make every dollar stretch to make the most positive impact in responding to the self-determined needs of disaster survivors. The principle of “solidarity, not charity” means that actions are based on the stated needs of the people themselves, working cooperatively rather than administering from above. Please consider donating generously in order to bring effective disaster relief based on the principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action to even more communities impacted by disaster. Here are a few ways to support our work:
- Donate to Mutual Aid Disaster Relief here to keep our work going with a one time or monthly recurring donation, powered and secured through Wepay. Or donate through Venmo (@MutualAidDisasterRelief) or PayPal ([email protected]).
- Help us grow Mutual Aid Disaster Relief’s infrastructure for response by donating to our Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Infrastructure Campaign so, together, we can continue to build power while the lights are out from the ground up, and offer even more to communities struggling for a just recovery. This will help us get a vehicle, a solar trailer, an ambulance, or other things of that nature.
- Purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies that are needed by responders and survivors directly via our Louisiana Amazon Wishlist, or our Florida Amazon Wishlist
- We also have a Puerto Rico Rebuilds Campaign for autonomous and sustainable infrastructure development in the form of water purification systems and photovoltaic solar arrays for Puerto Rico.
- To donate to our mutual aid efforts responding to flooding in Michigan, click here.
- Another donation option is donating to our ongoing fundraiser for heating assistance during the winters for Lakota families on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
- With many online opportunities to address people’s needs immediately and directly, we encourage people with access to wealth to support coronavirus impacted people directly if able. (See below). And if you cannot for whatever reason, we’re collecting funds here to support the network’s response to Coronavirus. Money from this fundraiser is being used to purchase bulk supplies, as well as support local COVID19 mutual aid efforts and organizers as they aid the most vulnerable communities and populations. We also have started a mask fundraiser to specifically gather donations to purchase bulk orders of masks and to support groups homemaking masks to distribute to the network of mutual aid groups providing frontline care to their communities.
- Interested in making a vehicle or real estate donation, or to leave us in your will? Check out our Legacy of Solidarity: Planned Giving Guide or Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you have in mind and we can explore it further together!
Have some crypto currency laying around? You can donate it here:
A COPY OF MUTUAL AID DISASTER RELIEF OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE AT 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352), OR (850) 410 3800 CALLING FROM OUTSIDE OF FLORIDA, OR THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM REGISTRATION NUMBER CH49304. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE, NEITHER DOES IT IMPLY OUR ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION OF THE STATE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS OF VIOLENCE, COERCION, AND HIERARCHICAL POWER.
SUPPORTING IMPACTED PEOPLE DIRECTLY
We encourage everybody to take initiative and respond to people’s needs directly. Sometimes people impacted by disasters need help with large expenses, such as paying medical bills, funeral expenses, finding a new home, keeping up with rent or utilities, or similar difficult circumstances, and could benefit from a more personal connection. Mutual aid is all about relationships! If you can connect with somebody directly that is preferable. If you need help with this process, we can connect you. Are you down to pledge a certain amount of money for direct support, and be connected directly with an impacted individual or family to be a lifeline for them in a time of crisis? If yes, thank you so much! Please respond to the needs of people impacted directly if you are able. If for some reason you are unable to, you are welcome to fill out this form and we can attempt to connect you to people who have reached out for this kind of support.
There is a growing ecosystem of people-powered disaster relief efforts and mutual aid responses to crises. We consider these folks our extended family and encourage you to generously support these efforts for disaster preparation and relief that are rooted in justice, local relationships, and solidarity.
EFFORTS NEEDING IMMEDIATE SUPPORT
Puerto Rico
The work for a just recovery continues in Puerto Rico that has just been hit with another hurricane, Hurricane Fiona, five years after Hurricane Maria. Consider supporting our extended family of centros de apoyo mutuo throughout the island.
Jackson, MS
Jackson, Mississippi is experiencing a water infrastructure crisis. Please support our friends at Cooperation Jackson in advancing community rooted water infrastructure solutions.
Hurricane Ida
Louisiana experienced a devastating Category 4 hurricane on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Here are some of our extended family mutual aid efforts that we encourage you to support:
- Down the Bayou Mutual Aid
- The Descendants Project
- Solitary Gardens
- Lobelia Commons
- NOLA Community Fridges
- Familias Unidas En Accion
- Louisiana Bucket Brigade
- New Orleans DSA
- Imagine Water Works
- New Orleans Mutual Aid Group
- Southern Solidarity
- New Orleans Mutual Aid Society
- Bvlbancha Collective
- Rise St James
- El Pueblo Nola
- Another Gulf is Possible
- United Houma Nation
- Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw
- Grand Caillou/Dulac Band
- Pointe-Aux-Chien Indian Tribe
- Atakapa Ishak Tribe
Haiti Earthquake
Haiti once again has experienced devastating earthquakes. Last time this happened in 2010, large U.S. and international charities received a lot of funds, but very little was shown for it on the ground in Haiti. Rather than donate to Red Cross, similar organizations, or even Mutual Aid Disaster Relief for these relief efforts, we encourage you to donate to Haitian organizations directly:
- FOKAL
- OMH Haiti
- Lambi Fund for Haiti
- Haitian Congress to Fortify Ayiti
- Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees
- Haitian Emergency Relief Fund
- Ayiti Community Trust
- Family Action Network Movement
- Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center
- Fonkoze
- Gheskio
- Man Dodo Foundation
- Organization For the Rehabilitation of the Environment
- Haiti Communitere
- ACFFC
- Sakala Haiti
- SOIL
- Konbit Soley Leve
- Sowaseed
- Volontariat Pour Le Developpment d’Haiti
- SOFA
- Kay Famn Women’s Group
- Institute for Justice & Democracy
- Grassroots International: Solidarity Support
Fires in Pacific Northwest
The Northwest regularly experiences devastating fires. Consider donating to our friends and partners here:
- Willamette Action Collective
- Symbiosis PDX
- Mask Oakland
- Mask Sonoma
- Rogue Action Center
- Rosehip Medics
- 805 Undocufund
SUPPORTING COVID19 RESPONSE
During the Coronavirus crisis, there has been a beautiful flowering of local mutual aid groups. Click here to see our collective care directory.
—-
Thank you so much for your continued support and solidarity for decentralized, liberatory disaster response!