Mutual Aid
What is it?
Put simply, mutual aid is the act of taking care of another person (or group of people) when faced with an uncaring, passive institution (such as the state, UChicago, etc.) While racial capitalism promotes individualism, often at the expense of others, mutual aid values community solidarity and responsibility. Mutual aid is focused on holistic care without expectations of repayment or return, and is an everyday practice that can include things like picking up groceries or babysitting.
A UChicago-based example: At the end of spring quarter 2020, protests calling for justice began amidst the death of George Floyd and so many others. Students also came together to cancel finals by mass emailing professors and advocating for their mental health. In the end, many final exams and papers were canceled or made optional. Solidarity and support can be used to stand up against the administration, landlords, unemployment insurance offices, and many other holders of power.
A community example: In 2020, CPS suspended its meal distribution program the week following the George Floyd protests in the City, leaving several families without access to free meals. A few folks began the People’s Grab-N-Go as a response to this news and in an effort to provide food to families in their community over the summer of 2020. The program has since ended, however, there are various other regular food distribution programs occurring in different Chicago communities, some of which are listed in the resources page.
How can you participate?
Mutual aid is a practice that can happen at every level – it may look different for different folks, but is important to engage in it in a way that is sustainable for you. This graphic from @pocketchangepools on IG shows an example of how this practice can look for folks at different income levels. A good tip is if you are employed, you can budget how much you are going to redistribute on your paydays.
UChicago focused mutual aid networks
UCMA has a Facebook group, Twitter, and Instagram. You can request resources via any of these communication channels, or through this form. Since the page’s origin, the radical nature of mutual aid has faded from the messaging, as many members of the group disagree with the leftist messaging. However, this page has been paused as of Aug 2023 and since the height of the pandemic in 2020 has been used as mostly an amplifier for various different asks not related to direct resources/needs.
Students in need of direct financial aid should contact the UChicago Emergency Fund, which is a College Council committee that is dedicated to providing grants to students in need. During the 2019-2020 school year, the fund raised $55,604 and provided $37,760.63 to 64 undergraduate and grad students. Students can also apply for the UC Emergency Assistance Program through the UC Bursar office. Applications for short-term emergency loans and emergency assistance grants can be found at my.UChicago.edu under Finances>Account>Emergency Assistance>Emergency Assistance Application. While these administration-run programs are not examples of mutual aid, they can be valuable resources to students in need.
Mutual aid networks around Chicago
GoodKidsMadCity - This organization is fighting to end violence in Chicago. They do a lot of work on defunding CPD, mutual aid, and community healing & organizing.
Autonomous Tenants Union - This is an all volunteer organization that fights to end all evictions and to create community-controlled housing by building people power. During the pandemic, they organized and held several actions to protest evictions, cancel rent and train tenants on their rights and how to organize. They are part of a larger group called Chicago Tenants Movement which has several participating organizations across Chicago.
Chicago Community Bond Fund - CCBF pays bonds through a revolving fund for individuals who cannot and who are impacted by structural violence. Additionally, this org does public education work to communities about bonds.
The Love Fridge Chicago - The Love Fridge is a mutual aid organization that places community fridges across Chicago and works to combat food waste and insecurity. They partner with restaurants each month to stock the fridges with meals. They also hold several town halls to talk about their work and how people can get involved.
Market Box - This organization partnered with a local grocery store and small local farms to provide fresh produce to over 400 households on the South Side. They focus on fostering relationships with each household as well by conducting check-in calls ahead of each food delivery. They have distribution days twice a month and look for volunteers to help pack & deliver food.
Bronzeville-Kenwood Mutual Aid - BKMA also formed as a response to COVID-19 - they work to meet urgent needs in their community, including issues of food justice, providing PPE, translation assistance and supporting new mothers.
Not Me We Feed the Babies - Not Me We is a South Shore-based organization that focuses on housing and education justice in the neighborhood. They run a food distribution program for neighborhood residents out of a local school once a month.
