2023 Update From Albany Park Mutual Aid
Published on December 19, 2023 by Margaret Poe
In 2023, Albany Park Mutual Aid fulfilled 145 requests from our neighbors, providing food, clothing, diapers and home supplies, as well as resources to assist with housing, utilities and transportation to residents of Albany Park and its surrounding community. This is a 27% increase over 2022, and is only possible due to the commitment of dozens of members of the network. Our accomplishments in 2023 include:
- Shopping for and delivering groceries to meet individual dietary needs and preferences
- Partnering with the Chicago Food Sovereignty Coalition to get a weekly box of groceries to 10 households, distributed by our members
- Continuing our partnership with Harvestime grocery store, which enables our donations to go even further
- Providing clothing to families in our community, either by buying new items or sourcing donations of gently used clothing
- Hosting a diaper drive in multiple locations in and around the neighborhood, then distributing the donated diapers, wipes and baby supplies to families in our network
- Delivering home goods including toilet paper, cleaning supplies and other essentials to families
- Sharing resources for rent support and utility assistance
- Coordinating special events such as the assembly and distribution of 27 Easter baskets to children in the community, as a response to requests for this assistance
- Supporting early emergency response efforts to welcome the newly arrived migrants who arrived in the city this year; we created a special project to help fund the efforts to provide food, clothing and essentials to migrants living in the 17th district police station
- Participating in community events such as the North Park Farmers Market, Drake Gardens Kickoff and others to build awareness and connection
Our membership is dynamic and we continue to welcome new members as they learn about APMA and our mission. However, the ongoing recruitment, training and retention of members remains a challenge. We have experimented this year with more in-person events, which has helped us build more of a sense of community and connection. As a group founded in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re continuing to evolve to meet the needs of our community today.
As we look toward 2024, we’re excited for all that’s to come. We’ll continue to serve our neighborhood of Albany Park and partner with others in Chicago looking to build a brighter future, together.