No Kings Alliance - Mutual Aid
Table of Contents
Find a Local Mutual Aid Group
Do’s and Dont’s of Mutual Aid
Common Items in Need
Starting Your Own Project
Create a donation drive for a local mutual aid group
Start a Community Pantry or Fridge
Create a Meal Kit/Care Kit Drive
Mutual Aid as SNAP Benefits Run Out
Donations of food, household supplies and time to your local mutual aid groups are important.
What can mutual aid look like?
Find a Local Mutual Aid Group
Do’s and Dont’s of Mutual Aid
Do | Don’t |
- Find a place to help or create your own. Many communities have mutual aid groups in operation, use the links above to see. If no organization, use the ideas below to generate your own operation.
- Call ahead. Check where you’re donating to know what they need and what they accept.
- Ask the community what they need. Mutual aid works by listening and collaborating with your community rather than deciding for them.
- Organize together! Create action and power in your community by organizing for mutual aid together.
- Host events in public places. Create ease of access and increase safety by hosting mutual aid events in public places or with local businesses or community centers.
| - Don’t donate without asking. Not all groups accept or need the same items – calling ahead prevents extra time and waste.
- Don’t donate open, expired questionable or obscure items.
- Don’t assume what people need. Instead, ask people in your community.
- Don’t organize alone. About 7 million people came to the last No Kings event, find people in your community to organize with!
- Don’t host at your home. Utilize public places for ease and comfort of access by the community.
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Common Items in Need
Always check first with the organization or community members you are donating to before collecting items.
Food Items
Check to see if the place you are donating has a fridge, if so dairy and fresh produce are typically highly appreciated.
- Canned proteins: Tuna, chicken, salmon, canned beans, canned chili
- Peanut or nut butters
- Canned soups
- Pasta and mac and cheese
- Canned vegetables and fruits
- Rice, grains, beans, lentils
- Cereals and flour
- Shelf-stable milk or milk alternatives (oat milk, almond milk, etc)
- Cooking oil (vegetable, canola, olive)
- Canned mandarin oranges, peaches, pineapple
- Tomato sauce and canned tomatoes
- Snack items: Crackers, granola bars, chips, etc
Household and Personal Care Items
Always check first to see what the place you are donating to accepts or needs.
- Laundry detergent
- Dish soap and hand soap
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Diapers, wipes, and pull-ups
- Feminine hygiene and incontinence products
- Toilet paper and paper products
- Deodorant, body wash, razors
Starting Your Own Project
Ready to start your own project? Here are some small ways to get going.
Create a donation drive for a local mutual aid group.
If you already have a mutual aid group in your region, starting a collection drive can be a great way to organize your community to support them.
- Call ahead and find out what your local group needs.
This allows you to get exactly what the community needs, rather than guessing. - Find people to organize with.
Find at least one other person who will do this project with you, the more the better!
- Pick a public location to host your drive.
Public parks, local businesses interested in collaborating, or community centers can be great locations. We do not recommend hosting it at your home or a private location. - Pick dates and times for drop-off of supplies.
- Spread the word!
Call the people you know, businesses, community groups, make a flyer and post on social media groups that are active in your community.
Start a Community Pantry or Fridge.
A community pantry or fridge is an opportunity for folks to take and add to it as they need.
- Find an outside community location or local business interested in partnering.
We recommend finding a public place of easy access for the community fridge or pantry, not putting it on private property or at your own home. - Find people to organize with.
Find at least one other person who will start and maintain your pantry or fridge with you, the more the better! They can help keep the fridge or pantry stocked and clean.
- Find a pantry or fridge for storage.
Being able to store supplies outside allows for community members to have easy access. You can also get creative with your signage and decorating. See what Baltimore’s Community Fridge teams have done.
- Promote the location.
Post on local facebook groups for your community, flyer and spread the word by text, phone calls and conversations in your neighborhood.
Create a Meal Kit/Care Kit Drive.
If your community is asking for more direct opportunities to get meals or support, you can create a public drive.
- Gather information from your community and find out what people need.
This allows you to get exactly what the community needs, rather than guessing. - Find people to organize with.
Find at least one other person who will do this project with you, the more the better!
- Pick a public location to host your drive.
Public parks, local businesses interested in collaborating, or community centers can be great locations. We do not recommend hosting it at your home or a private location.
Consider locations easy by public transit, with easy parking, and/or high traffic areas where people will easily find you as they walk by throughout their day. - Pick dates and times for drop-off of supplies.
Drop off should be before the pick up-times for community members. Either earlier that day or days ahead of time depending on your project’s capacity. - Plan time to sort and organize kits.
Boxes and reusable bags are helpful materials for creating kits. Kits should have a diversity of food or other resources for people or families.
- Pick a time for people and families to come pick up meal/community care kits.
Pick a diversity of times that works for different working hours of your community.
Pick up should be simple and easy: people show up and no questions asked to get the amount of kits they need. You may even portion out your boxes for bigger size households and smaller size households, or offer multiple kits depending on household size.
Call the people you know, businesses, community groups, make a flyer and post on social media groups that are active in your community.