Reflecting on this year
Published on December 21, 2023 by Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst
MMA's work in 2023 focused on supporting new neighbors, many of whom are in Chicago seeking asylum. We primarily spent funds on material resources like food, medicine and clothing, as well as physical space to store those items. We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed time, money, energy, and the many other resources people have put into this work.
Challenges included capacity, as always, and navigating new terrain with the election of Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Johnson administration has given some access to mutual aid groups like ours, but not nearly enough transparency nor empowerment. This all directly impacts our ability to adequately support our new neighbors. We are watching closely to learn from the leadership of other, larger collectives, like CCC33, as we learn how to live into the complexity of what mutual aid is: meeting survival needs while working to change the political, economic, and social conditions that make survival so impossible for so many.
Looking ahead to next year, things are a bit uncertain. Our collective is pretty loosely organized, and we've all been in response mode for a long time. So hopefully we will have time to reset, reflect, and be intentional in planning our next steps.
No matter what we do, though, it will be grounded in solidarity, interdependence, and deep and active hope for a better world.
Challenges included capacity, as always, and navigating new terrain with the election of Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Johnson administration has given some access to mutual aid groups like ours, but not nearly enough transparency nor empowerment. This all directly impacts our ability to adequately support our new neighbors. We are watching closely to learn from the leadership of other, larger collectives, like CCC33, as we learn how to live into the complexity of what mutual aid is: meeting survival needs while working to change the political, economic, and social conditions that make survival so impossible for so many.
Looking ahead to next year, things are a bit uncertain. Our collective is pretty loosely organized, and we've all been in response mode for a long time. So hopefully we will have time to reset, reflect, and be intentional in planning our next steps.
No matter what we do, though, it will be grounded in solidarity, interdependence, and deep and active hope for a better world.
No, we don't plan to stop supporting migrants! The city has dramatically changed how migrants are sheltered upon arrival, which just changes how and when resources are deployed. For example, we may not need to store as much bulky inventory in the future since the shelters now give out blankets. So in that case we would use resources differently. Just generally things like that. But you can always see exactly how money is spent by visiting the MMA page here on open collective!
on