1.12 Mutual Aid/Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N)
Mutual Aid/N2N groups spring up after disasters like COVID lockdown and flooding to direct resources and help. These community efforts are informal (not housed inside of an organization or part of a State agency), which means they keep barriers to accessing help very low. Groups led by people in impacted communities are often the first to show up and help when disaster strikes, because they are showing up for their own community, and also often know where help is needed most. Identifying who you are already in relationship with and proximity to, and acknowledging that we all have something to offer and all have something we need, is crucial. Around the world, mutual aid groups have saved lives and improved material conditions for people when official systems of aid have moved too slowly or failed. Mutual aid and N2N work can happen in countless ways. The most important things are that these groups are formed by and for the community, that they promote solidarity not charity, practice cooperation not competition and recognize that our dignity and survival are bound up together.
| Systems | Stuff |
|---|---|
| Mutual Aid Tenets
Solidarity, not charity
Cooperation, not competition
Urgency, not waiting for the state or other officials to save us
Direct action and community self-determination, not passivity and paternalism
Voluntary, mutual, and reciprocal
Our liberation is tied together
| Mutual Aid Checklist
Identify existing mutual aid and N2N groups to connect with (ask around at a General Store, Town Hall, community centers, etc.)
Create a contact list of names, phone numbers, and addresses of households in your community (physical or social)
Identify who in your network has specific needs or abilities to offer. Reach out and check in. Hold a gathering or forum to talk about this as a group.
Choose a communications plan (e.g. FrontPorchForum, phone tree, text chain, paper fliers and mail) so that you can let your network know when something is happening
Practice! Engage in low-stakes mutual aid activities during calm times (e.g. a meal share, a tool share, a community fridge)
Decide what kind of mutual aid or N2N work you want to do and what roles you want to fill. You might decide to collect donations, move donations, or track needs and resources. Check out the "Knowing Your Community" section to think about your interests and capacity.
Coordinate with existing Long-Term Recovery Groups and coalitions of organizations active in disaster (Vermont Community Foundation, GOCROS, etc.)
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