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Raleigh United Mutual Aid Hub (RUMAH)
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What's Up(Date)? Wrapping up 2023
Published on November 30, 2023 by Schrader
Hello RUMAH supporters!

It's been a whirlwind of a year, and RUMAH is proud to have been able to accomplish so much this year - things that would not have been possible without contributions from all our lovely donors, hard work from our dedicated volunteers, and overwhelming support from the Raleigh area community! THANK YOU, RUMAH <3s YOU!

Here's a look back at 2023...

SPRING

This past spring we hosted our first ever big fundraising event, Earth to Raleigh...Your Mother's Calling! This event turned into two events due to the rain - one celebrating Earth Day weekend inside at Clouds Taproom in Raleigh, and part 2 during Mother's Day weekend with an outdoor stage, chalk mural, artist vendors, and other activities in the sun. Check out the recap video below, and photos from both events are over on our Facebook page: Earth to Raleigh... Part 2!

SUMMER

Over the summer, RUMAH found a home in downtown Raleigh for The Hub: a community space to house RUMAH, pursue our mission, and support individuals and groups throughout the area! The Hub is for residents and local collectives alike to use as a home-base: to host workshops, skill-shares, and other events to build an overall stronger community...where people across all backgrounds and affinities feel a sense of belonging. Since officially opening in August of 2023, The Hub has welcomed and supported over 50 different local groups through resource sharing, storage, and gathering space for more than 80 different community events!


FALL/WINTER

RUMAH is a one hundred percent volunteer based organization, and The Hub community space is funded by grassroots support from our monthly and one-time sustainers. That's why we partnered with Giving Tuesday RDU to run a campaign this past fall to fill the gap in our monthly sustainers; our goal for Giving Tuesday 2023 was to double our monthly sustainer contributions. By reaching six thousand dollars in recurring monthly donations, all expenses from the rent to the resources offered to the community would be locally funded.  Every donation we receive goes towards securing the future of The Hub, ensuring the space will be kept open and accessible for all by continuing our pay-what-you-can model for space use.
Grassroots funding for shared spaces like The Hub are crucial for sustainability and autonomy. A space can only serve and support the community when the community believes in it!
Check out our Giving Tuesday campaign video for more info!

In Summary...

  • RUMAH raised over $50,000 in the past 12 months, with over 95% coming from individual donations from the community. RUMAH has used those funds to open and maintain The Hub, a community space that serves as a place of shared storage, resources, meeting and event space, and a hub for area organizing.
  • RUMAH faced many challenges this year: navigating the world of commercial real estate, figuring out sustainable practices for maintaining a community space, recruiting volunteers and gathering feedback from residents, hosting events of all kinds and sizes, and so much more.
  • RUMAH also learned a lot! We've been able to secure a two-year lease for a downtown location at an affordable rate in a rapidly gentrifying city. We were able to fully furnish the space and accept donated equipment, supplies, and other needed items from a variety of sources. We now have a growing team of volunteers who are helping to manage the space and plan for the future, and are on track for another great year in 2024!

We hope you all enjoy the rest of 2023, and wish you a safe and happy new year.
RUMAH <3s our community!

-The RUMAH Team