What is mutual aid?

The people providing for the people.

Systems weren’t designed to support all of us, so we combine our resources and strengths to meet the needs of community. In a world where we’re all free and justice is real, mutual aid has the potential to evolve beyond survival. In our mutual aid efforts, we hope to build towards a community where all of us have the tools to sustain our personal and collective wellness.

THE PEOPLE GOT the people

Important TPA Mutual Aid Sunday Tradition Update:

For many years, we've organized 100+ meals and hygiene supplies every week to share with our unhoused neighbors. Alongside these efforts, we've regularly checked in on our neighbors, organized support for those being displaced, and mobilized direct actions in response to the city's criminalization of homelessness. As of today, TPA has enough mutual aid inventory to last through the end of 2024 on our current bi-monthly schedule. As our food and hygiene supplies have decreased in volume, we've had the opportunity to assess our own individual capacities and how we can continue to cultivate collective care in sustainable and meaningful ways. 

Starting January 1 2025, TPA will pivot our mutual aid efforts as can be sustained with the decreasing funds and supplies we have available. This may look like: a limited frequency of meal and supply distributions (on an as-funds-allow basis), seasonal supply drives and distributions, etc. We don't know yet what this will look like, but we know we want to keep showing up for our community how we can. We'll keep y'all posted as we plan for the future.

Our "Edna Travis" van will continue to serve wonderful purposes in the hands of our comrade, @leebarker21, especially as he supports the hundreds of McKinney Vento students and families of Tacoma Schools with moves, transportation, and events. THANK YOU, LEE! We want to thank Shalom and the @commongoodtacoma family for their support and collaboration on TPA's Sunday Mutual Aid Tradition. Thank you to every one of you for your continued love and support!

Change is inevitable, and we must adapt and pivot and create in the vision of collective care and liberation. This is not the ending of a story - just a turn to the next chapter in our mutual aid work, specifically. We're excited to dream about the expansiveness of mutual aid, and how we can grow and sustain the collective act of showing up for one another.

Community is providing care to each other. Our lines are always open to community members looking for support. Contact us here if we can support you.

• Support Request Boost: We are not a direct service or financial assistance provider, but we can boost your requests for financial support to our networks to facilitate direct donations and resources to you if you’re in need of help.

• Basic needs support: Contact us or check out our directory of community members who offer their skills/resources to support a variety of needs here.

• General/Organizing Support: We’ll do what we can to provide support/advocacy and/or resource connection for community members in need of support. Reach out to us if you need help navigating resources.