The movement for mutual aid during disasters isn’t something we invented. But we are trying to act as a swiss-army knife for this growing movement of movements, as it becomes more and more critical for our collective survival. One way we are supporting and uplifting this tactic, and the larger autonomous disaster relief movement, of which we are only a small part, is curating a database of news articles about autonomous, liberatory, mutual aid efforts in the context of disasters.
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The Street SamaritansPost-Katrina volunteer medics on bicycles created a new model of community health care in New Orleans.
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Alter NetIn Katrina's aftermath in New Orleans, an unlikely group of four men -- white and black, old and young -- came together to form a relief collective unlike any other.
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The Washington PostNEW ORLEANS -- Malik Rahim, a granddaddy with a broad face and long gray dreadlocks, leans across his wooden kitchen table and with a low Nawlins growl lets you know what he thinks local pols did for racial harmony.
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Anarchists Providing Medical Aid in New OrleansIn a time of crisis, a medical clinic has sprung to life in a storm-damaged New Orleans neighborhood, with an unlikely crew giving aid. Anarchists with medical training, calling themselves the Common ...
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It's Going DownInterview with the autonomous anti-capitalist space Woodbine out of so-called New York about building infrastructure in the face of COVID-19 and beyond.
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Wisconsin Public RadioGroups Illustrate Breadth Of Need In Communities, Embolden People To Be Part Of The Solution
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UT Daily BeaconThroughout 2020, there has been a notable increase in social media activism — many people share posts that promote a call to action or raise awareness about an issue, from harm reduction to workers’ rights, to the problems with the justice system.
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Daily UWDiving into mutual aid and the UW Community Aid fund
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CrosscutIn a new book, Seattle University’s Dean Spade highlights how the organizing and survival tactic could be vital for future disasters.
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The CounterGiving and volunteerism ebb and crest with pandemic fatigue, civil unrest, and the weather.
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The CityWhen the Astoria Mutual Aid Network began in March, volunteers focused on making sure homebound or down-on-their-luck neighbors had groceries.
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Maine BeaconA resident-led mutual aid network has been growing in South Portland since the beginning of the pandemic. More than nine months later, with so many residents still out of work, or still seeing less in their paychecks, or isolated and in need of essentials like food or transportation, the volunteer organizers have shown no sign of slowing down.
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Food TankAs Chicago, Illinois residents struggle with the economic downturn as a result of the coronavirus, the Love Fridge Chicago is bringing fully stocked refrigerators to neighborhoods struggling with food apartheid.
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Toledo BladeWhen millions found themselves out of work during the pandemic, many turned to traditional sources for help: the government, nonprofits, friends and family.
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The Tacoma LedgerA movement, not a moment; every skill is needed. On the ground is a term used to refer to those that take different forms of direct action to the streets to call attention to injustices. While this form of action is necessary and valuable we shouldn’t overlook all of the other work that happens behind the scenes to support movements as a whole.
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This is RenoCOVID-19 and its effects on the community are not going away just because it’s now 2021. Neither, according to their creators, are the myriad mutual aid groups that have sprung up in the last year to offset the fallout resulting from the virus and bolster communities whose struggles predate it.
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Seattle TimesMutual aid isn't a new idea — far from it. “It’s an ancient practice of looking out for one another,” says JM Wong, a member of the Seattle-based COVID-19 Mutual Aid network since its inception in early 2020.
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TruthoutThe United States is currently experiencing one of its most intense COVID-19 surges since the pandemic began earlier this year. California, for example, recently ordered 5,000 body bags while ordering refrigerated trucks to be on standby.
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CPR NewsJacob Richards had long feared he’d go out into the wilderness for a trip, and then return home to a totally different world, the aftermath of some kind of tear in society. In March, it finally happened.
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LA Progressivet any given Black Lives Matter (BLM) event in Portland, you might encounter what looks like a farmers market stand, with woven baskets full of fresh veggies, fruits and flower cuttings. Look a little closer and you might come across an “Abolish the Police Lettuce Mix” or a fruit basket with a hand-painted sign that reads “billionaires are not essential.”
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AP NewsAmid the unfolding disaster of COVID-19 have been moments of generosity, whether it’s people pulling together support for college students who’ve been tossed out of dorms, or collecting money to help restaurant workers, street vendors and movie theater employees pay for their medicine, groceries and rent.
