MUtual aid program
The following is more information about our mutual aid program. Our first General Meeting for Mutual Aid will be May 2nd (link to Register here) in which we will provide updates, answer questions, give specifics, and take feedback for how this will operate. Please consider donating to help us setup the initial infrastructure, and provide feedback through the form below! Thank you!General overview
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We are setting up a mutual aid network centered around a consumer cooperative, so that essential products that usually take up a large portion of household’s spending can be acquired for a cheaper price through bulk purchasing and collective distribution. We’re labeling this a Mutual Aid Cooperative (MAC).
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Mutual Aid is exchange based in reciprocity, rather than transactionality. ‘Aid’ is provided primarily because aid is needed, not because we expect to gain anything out of the exchange.
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Typically, a consumer cooperative is when a group of people all interested in buying a specific product pool their money together to buy that product in bulk, acquiring it for cheaper and saving money. Instead of already having a product and pooling money together, we are pooling money together first, and then choosing the products to buy based on the needs of the cooperative and community.
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We feel there is a lot that can be done with collective organization, and believe what we have laid out here is a good starting point to build something bigger and more robust through continued effort and willingness for people to commit what they can commit. Not because they have to, but because they want to.
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The specific details regarding day-to-day and background operations will be introduced during the May 2nd General Meeting, which can be registered for here! (Or use the QR Code). All are welcome to register, and attending does not mean you have signed up for anything and must participate. It is an information meeting in which we will provide updates, answer questions, and receive feedback regarding what we present.
QR Code for Zoom Registration
What’s next?
Besides what’s already been stated about the May 2nd Meeting, right now, we are focused on establishing basic logistical and infrastructural foundations. This will take a couple months before we fully launch regular operations.
What is most helpful is any donations people may be willing to give to help us get everything together. The money will go towards any deposits we may need to submit, consolidation of subscription services, art supplies for promotional materials, and other misc. items. Stripe (for direct card), Venmo, and CashApp are linked here and QR codes are below.
For those in which want do more than just donate, we hold regular onboarding meetings that people can attend to participate in the setting up. Anyone is free to reach out to us and ask how they may be able to help us in other ways in the process of setting up. Feedback form is below.
We will be providing updates over the coming weeks regarding calls-to-action and other events we are holding. We are excited to get this going and hope to get as many people involved as possible. Thank you!
