MUTUAL AID

Chesed Mutual Aid

email :chesedhavurah@gmail.com to sign up

As one of our community members beautifully stated, we are hoping to build “a community where folks can comfortably ask and others can willingly come to aid.” 

Toward that end, we have developed the following parameters for this virtual space (with the caveat that this is a work in progress and suggestions are welcome as we improve!):

🌱 When posting, make clear whether you are asking for mutual aid or offering

🌱 Provide a description of what you’re asking for or offering

🌱 If you want to meet an ask or ask to claim an offer, respond in the signal. This does not guarantee you will be “chosen” – that’s at the discretion of the asker or offerer

🌱 Ask permission before private messaging (then with consent, send address/contact/meet up details in private message

🌱 If you wish to be anonymous with your ask, an admin can post the ask on your behalf (but know that you will not be anonymous to whomever is fulfilling the ask)

🌱 There is no guarantee that an ask will be met

🌱 Please use discretion (keep info/identities/asks within the group private), give freely and without judgement 

🌱 If you have questions, suggestions, or just want to check in with an admin of this chat, please feel free to reach out via direct message. Currently, @Erica J is in the admin role

🌱 Example posts:

  • Shana: Ask - Can anyone water my garden in Ypsilanti while I’m away for 1 week in June? Will need your own transportation. Hose is ground level, but garden ground is not flat. Approx. 20 mins per visit.

    • Alice: I can do it! Private message me with more details, please.

  • Lee: Offer - I have 20 quart-sized plastic planters to offer. Does anyone want them before I donate them this weekend? I live in Ann Arbor. Pick up only.

    • Erica: I’m interested! Ok if I private message you to arrange pickup?

3 tenets of mutual aid guiding our community (via Dean Spade):

🌱Mutual aid projects work to meet survival needs and build a shared understanding about why people do not have what they need 

🌱Mutual aid projects mobilize people, expand solidarity, and build movements

🌱Mutual aid projects are participatory, solving problems through collective action rather than waiting for saviors