One Year Update and Fundraising Goal for April 2021
Published on April 13, 2021 by Julienne Kaleta
Hello mutual aid organizers! Thank you for your continued support.
Since our hotline opened about a year ago, on March 23, we have responded to over 4000 calls and made over 1800 grocery deliveries to Ward 3 residents who are experiencing food insecurity. In addition to requests to help feed their families, many neighbors call seeking-- or offering-- many other kinds of support, including emergency housing resources, assistance applying for benefits, donations of furniture and household goods, prescription pick-up, internet access, transportation to medical appointments, and much more.
We provide about $2550 of free groceries and hot meals to our Ward 3 neighbors every week, plus we commit an additional average of $640 a week to supporting other wards.
Food insecurity, lack of affordable housing, and financial insecurity are long-term issues in our Ward 3 neighborhoods and our city, and they've grown worse throughout the covid-19 pandemic. In fact, our average weekly spending has risen $300 in the last 6 months, as more folks learn about our hotline and the need continues and grows. We anticipate the need for mutual aid continuing long beyond the covid-19 crisis. We are building for a sustained movement grounded in community care.
In order to build a sustainable solidarity network, the Ward 3 Mutual Aid fundraising committee has set an ambitious goal: We'd like to reach 300 monthly contributors to Open Collective - Ward 3 Neighbor Support* in April. We currently have 160. Recurring monthly contributors can give anywhere from $5 to $100+ a month — give as you're able!
For a long time, we funded our grocery runs and organizing efforts with one-time donations, but we know that building sustainable fundraising mechanisms requires regular and reliable funds. If 1,000 neighbors across our ward each gave somewhere between $5 and $100 a month, we would have a generous and reliable budget to take care of groceries and so much more.
By becoming a monthly contributor, you help Ward 3 Mutual Aid...
- Build a sustainable solidarity network in our community to help our ward become more equitable and welcoming for all;
- Provide direct support among Ward 3 neighbors;
- Fund the ~130-150 grocery deliveries Ward 3 Mutual Aid makes per month
- Redistribute wealth from the richest ward in DC to other wards; and
- Help our organizers plan the monthly budget knowing we can rely on recurring monthly donations.
STEP 1: If you haven't already, set up a recurring (or one-time) donation here.
STEP 2: Spread the word to your neighbors and communities! Share our posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or share this message to your community and neighborhood list servs!
Of course, we also invite you to join our organizing if you haven’t already! And thank you all for all that you do, Mutual Aid organizers! #WeKeepUsSafe
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