Mutual aid is a term to describe people giving each other needed material support with the understanding that the systems in place will not address this inequity; in many cases, these same systems created that inequality. Mutual aid projects are a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions, not just through symbolic acts or putting pressure on their representatives in government, but by actually building new social relations that are more sustainable.
Mutual aid has been a part of all large, powerful social movements, and it has a particularly large role to play right now, as we face unprecedented dangers and opportunities for mobilization. At its best, mutual aid actually produces new ways of living where people create systems of care and generosity that address harm and foster well-being. We recommend Dean Spade’s book, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next), if you would like to learn more.
It is Red Hook Mutual Aid’s goal to establish accessible and inclusive ways to share resources and support vulnerable neighbors with what they need, as well as build a shared understanding of why people do not have what they need. Mutual aid is as much about addressing immediate needs as it is about building solidarity. Under capitalism, social problems resulting from exploitation and the maldistribution of resources are understood as individual moral failings, not systemic problems. We are aware that the systems we have in place will not meet those needs, so we work in conjunction with community-based organizations and community members to help distribute resources and information.