JULY 2023
Haga clic aquí para ver El Despacho de julio en español.
Click here to view The July Dispatch in Spanish.
A FEW WORDS ON: THE RADICAL ACT OF TAKING A BREAK
What you’re reading is probably the sixth draft of this intro. Today I worked on it after I finished my 9-to-5. Last weekend, I snuck in some edits between grocery shopping and working on the apartment I just moved into.
Helping to get the Dispatch to you is one of the few ways I can currently support the efforts of Mutual Aid LA Network. My aforementioned 9-to-5 doesn’t afford me the time or the energy to do much else.
Maybe you can relate. And maybe you also relate to the temptation to raise your hand for every mutual aid project that excites you, quickly filling your schedule to the brim … and putting yourself on a direct path to burnout.
Projects fighting injustice are reliably long-term in nature. It may take generations before our efforts are actualized in a transformative way.
So, it’s important to realize that running ourselves ragged is untenable. Ideally, we all have great boundaries and know how to pace ourselves—shifting effortlessly among our mutual aid projects, paid jobs, and any other obligations (or fun stuff!) that life throws our way.
But that’s easier said than done, right?
I offer this: if and when we find ourselves on the precipice of burnout, let’s consider taking a break. We can each choose how a “break” looks for ourselves—it might be taking time off the grid, or rethinking our boundaries, or scaling back/stepping away from certain projects.
Our capitalist hellscape teaches us that our physical and emotional needs are secondary to propping up the system. “Taking a break” is a radical act—as is reframing how we think about it.
Instead of, “Recharge now, then do more later,” The Nap Ministry wisely encourages us to rest simply because it’s our right.
Taking time to tend to ourselves will help us get clarity in our roles and find a more tenable way to share resources—which ultimately benefits us all.
Written by Lauren who organizes with Mutual Aid LA Network
FEATURED EFFORT: FARM2POWER
During the pandemic, as many Angelenos struggled to meet basic needs and local farmers struggled as sales dwindled, Amari Gaiter and Elliott Snow saw the opportunity to create an equitable food system that would connect farmers directly to people in need of food. They recruited colleagues Zoya Abbas and Sarah Bacio, and Farm2Power - a Los Angeles-based mutual aid collective aiming to uplift BIPOC farmers and provide fresh food to those facing food insecurity - was born.
“We recognized that a lot of neighbors did not have access to fresh food. And many pantries only carried canned or dry goods, so we came up with the idea to host community supported agriculture (CSA) pantries,” says Sarah Bacio. “We partnered with the South Central Farmers Co-op in the summer of 2020 and we were able to raise enough funds to host our first pantry. We've done a pretty good job of holding them each month since then.”
While hospitalizations and deaths related to the pandemic have currently ebbed, food insecurity has remained an issue for many. The first pantry in August 2020 received four sign-ups. As word got out about Farm2Power, sign-ups have more than quadrupled.
Through grassroots fundraising efforts via social media and tabling at events, Farm2Power raises money to purchase $25 boxes of fresh produce for community members who fill out a form on the Farm2Power website (provided in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog and Korean). The South Central Farmers Co-op - a grassroots collective of BIPOC, majority-women farmers located in Lancaster, CA - assembles the boxes and delivers them to Farm2Power pantries in Koreatown and Compton. From there, people who signed up can pick up their boxes from the pantries or have them delivered wherever they live in L.A. County by Farm2Power volunteers. Each box provides enough produce to last a family for two or more weeks.
Farm2Power organizers also hosted virtual workshops about reinventing food systems through abolition and mutual aid, and reimagining our relationships to food systems through the lens of Indigenous conceptions of reciprocity. In addition, they worked with the Compton Tenants Union to hold a community cookout where folks shared food, participated in street medic training, and enjoyed a performance by Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc.
“Raising funds to consistently hold pantries every month is a challenge,” says Kira Morrison. “Early in the pandemic lots of people were donating and volunteering, but resources and funding are harder to come by these days.”
Kira joined Farm2Power recently, after organizing with the LA Community Fridge Network and Street Watch for most of the pandemic. A professional musician by trade, Kira is the lead organizer of Root for Farm2Power, a music and comedy fundraiser to be held on July 21 at Junior High Los Angeles, featuring Demi Adejuyigbe, Amber & Max (of the band Moonchild), Joel Kim Booster, and more.
“We hope to grow, to be able to do our work in a self-sustaining community garden space and hold in-person workshops on gardening, farming and organizing in the future,” says Sarah.
“It would also be exciting to expand into providing pre-cooked meals for people who don’t have access to a kitchen or the resources to cook fresh produce,” adds Kira. “There are so many people I’m learning from at Farm2Power with visions about how to make food more accessible. We’re excited to make change on a bigger scale.”
How YOU can contribute…
- DONATE MONEY (via Venmo or GiveButter for recurring donations) to ensure that Farm2Power can continue purchasing produce from local BIPOC-run farms
- SIGN UP (in multiple languages!) to receive a produce box
- VOLUNTEER to help on pantry days (deliver produce boxes) by filling out this form and/or ORGANIZE as a part of the Farm2Power team (here), to keep things running and growing.
- FOLLOW Farm2Power on IG to catch their events, workshops and more!
- ATTEND The Root for Farm2Power Music and Comedy Show on July 21 at Junior High Los Angeles, 603 S. Brand Blvd, Glendale CA 91204. Get tickets.
- REACH OUT and ASK Q’s by emailing farm2power@gmail.com or texting (213) 878-5060
Written by Terence who volunteers with Mutual Aid LA Network
DO YOU HAVE TIME, ITEMS*, OR MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE?
DO YOU NEED ITEMS, SERVICES, OR FOOD?
*PLEASE clean, sort & fold all items you are donating. Items should be new or gently used. Socks, underwear and hygiene items should always be unused. Download our printer-friendly Donation Guide
WHO: Water Drop LA
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS
Over the summer we’re very short on volunteers for our distributions, which is when folks need the water the most! Sign-up to jump in and help out with Water Drop’s weekly water and supply distribution to unsheltered residents of Skid Row/DTLA. Also, ACCEPTING ITEM DONATIONS of 4-6 person tents and large tarps. DM to schedule a donation drop-off.
WHEN: Sundays from 11am-2pm
WHERE: Skid Row
$$$: Purchase much-needed supplies from this updated wishlist. Monetary donations help purchase pallets of water in bulk and truck rentals to transport.
WHO: Alianza Nacional de Campesinas x Polo’s Pantry
YOU HAVE: TIME
YOU NEED: FOOD
This monthly food distribution is a true coming together of people and groups (led by women farmworkers) in order to get food and supplies to the underpaid and overworked farmworkers and families of several southeast Coachella Valley communities, the people responsible for feeding LA. Volunteers down to lift heavy items, stand for several hours to assemble produce boxes & endure some pretty intense heat (w/ shade & water breaks) are desperately needed. Transportation/carpooling w/ other volunteers coming from LA County will most likely be coordinated. DM @polospantryla or email melissa@polospantry.org to ask q’s or sign-up.
WHEN: Third Saturday of every month, 8am-2pm
WHERE: 69455 Pierce St. Thermal, CA
$$$: Make a financial contribution to this effort via the Polo’s Pantry GiveButter.
WHO: Echo Park Mutual Aid
YOU HAVE: TIME
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
A growing collective of neighbors in Echo Park. Breaking cycles of oppression by learning to care better for ourselves, our neighbors, and the land. Distributing basic survival and healthcare supplies. Building solidarity between housed and unhoused neighbors to alleviate the precarity of living outside and deepen our understanding of the contradictions at hand. We are looking for more neighbors in Echo Park who want to connect with us. Reach out on Instagram @e_p_m_a_
WHEN: We do not have a formal meeting time
WHERE: Echo Park Neighborhood
$$$: Join our Patreon to fill our pantry and purchase supplies for our neighbors.
WHO: Gender Justice LA
YOU HAVE: ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
Gender Justice LA is a grassroots social justice organization for and by gender non-conforming, two spirit, Black, Indigenous, trans people of color in LA. Once a month we host TGI Fridays to provide a safe space for Trans Intersex and Gender Expansive/Gender Queer/Gender non-binary community members. Free PPE, art making, and acupunctures are provided. We are collecting tinctures, balms, teas, and anything soothing for our bodies and mental health. Email gia@gjla.org to coordinate a drop-off or pick up.
WHEN: TGI Fridays are 7/28 and 8/25 and every 4th Friday of the month from 3pm-8pm
WHERE: GJLA Center in Lincoln Heights, 2701 N Broadway (2nd floor), Los Angeles, CA
$$$: Donate at GJLA.org to help Gender Justice LA transition into our new home.
WHO: All Power Free Clinic
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
All Power Free Clinic (@apfreeclinic) is the mighty little medical arm of radical resource and community center All Power Books. This traveling clinic pops up at encampments 6-7 times each month, offering unhoused folks wound care, preventative treatment, and vitamins as well as essentials like food, clothing and supplies. They’ve also started doing pop-up community educational events. Volunteers w/ medical experience needed: RN, LVN, EMT, CNA, NP, PA, MD and students! If interested, complete the form at tinyurl.com/apfc-volunteer. ACCEPTING donations of unopened medical supplies, which can be dropped off at All Power Books during biz hours. Email APFreeClinic@gmail.com w/ any q’s.
WHEN: TBD
WHERE: West Adams area + mobile clinic sites in SFV, west LA, DTLA, and south bay
$$$: Venmo @APFreeClinic to help purchase crucial medical and survival supplies.
WHO: Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA)
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
We are an abolitionist network of care supporting unhoused people across Mid City, Palms & West LA, specifically involved in harm reduction efforts, sweep defense, court support, outreach & political edu. We are looking to grow our network of volunteers & organizers, especially for our Wednesday outreach program: We meet in Palms, distribute supplies among us & do outreach across several encampments. COLLECTING new or gently used blankets & sleeping bags. IG DM us or email palmsunhousedmutualaid@gmail.com to coordinate a donation handoff or to sign-up for outreach.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30PM
WHERE: The Palms area + we work with houseless residents across CD11, CD5, CD10 and Culver City.
$$$: Donate on Open Collective. Funds go to purchasing basic supplies such as hygiene items, tents, tarps and clothing for the hot summer season.
WHO: The People of South Gate
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: FOOD
Our collective is aiming to distribute food to SELA residents facing food insecurity weekly at the Cruzita’s Deli & Cafe. Volunteers needed–especially on distro days–to pick up food, help w/ set up & help make sure community members get what they need. If you feel compelled to join us in helping our comunidad, DM us (@thepeopleofsg), email us (thepeopleofsg@gmail.com) or just show up on a Saturday!
WHEN: Saturdays @ 10am-1:30pm
WHERE: Cruzitas Deli & Cafe in Huntington Park. (Our collective is based in South Gate but our program is open to anyone in surrounding communities such as Watts, Lynwood, Huntington Park, Cudahy, Maywood, Bell, and Bell Gardens)
$$$: Donations always accepted via Venmo: @thepeopleofsg / Cash App: $thepeopleofsg / Patreon
WHO: Open Art Supply
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
MALAN’s Open Art Supply project is collecting new and gently used arts & crafts supplies and distributing them to members of our community who may not have access otherwise. We're getting together at North Atwater Park to put donated markers, sketchbooks, pencils, and other supplies into kits. All are welcome to build the kits and shop at our FREE Store area. RSVP here. You can also help by collecting art supplies from your friends, neighbors, and colleagues and dropping them off at one of the creative collaborator spaces.
WHEN: Art Kit Build: Saturday, July 22 at 11am
WHERE: North Atwater Park, 3900 Chevy Chase Dr
$$$: To help us purchase harder-to-get items, send a Venmo to @fortheunderdog with a crayon 🖍️ emoji as your message.
WHO: Bodega Comunitaria Pomona
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
We are a pay-what-you-can, take-what-you-need bodega, serving Pomona and the surrounding areas. ALWAYS ACCEPTING: clean, folded, wearable clothing (no missing buttons or tears); shelf-stable /non-perishable food; hygiene items; first-aid & harm-reduction supplies; and formula, diapers, & other infant care items. Currently, we are most in need of food and hygiene supplies. We are also looking for volunteers to help staff the bodega or do outreach to increase community awareness. Drop off donations at the below address from 6-8. Email communityfridgepomona@gmail.com for volunteer info. Follow us on IG @bodega_comunitaria_pomona_
WHEN: Everyday, 6-8 pm
WHERE: Lopez Urban Farm, 1034 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona, CA 91766
$$$: Donations always accepted via Venmo: @communityfridgepomona
WHO: Mutual Aid Action LA
YOU HAVE: TIME
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
A community space, food co-op, and pay-what-you-can home goods center serving folks in MacArthur Park and South LA. We are looking for drivers for our grocery delivery route on Tuesdays. Bring fresh produce and supplies to 3-6 families across the city. The route takes 1-2 hours, depending on traffic. It's a wonderful way to help provide consistent support to food-insecure elders and families. Email lisareggiefranks at gmail if you’re interested. Follow us on IG @mutualaidactionlosangeles.
WHEN: Tuesday afternoons
WHERE: 2515 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057
$$$: We accept donations through our website at mutualaidactionla.org/donate
WHO: Long Beach Food Not Bombs
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
Food, clothing, and hygiene distribution every Sunday in Long Beach, CA. Join us to pack, distribute, and/or receive food and items. COLLECTING: clothes, new socks/underwear, blankets, hygiene items, harm reduction supplies, TP, flashlights, batteries, snacks, fruit, water, tents, tarps, and pet food. DM us on IG @lbfoodnotbombs to coordinate a pick-up in Long Beach or North OC.
WHEN: Sundays from 1PM to 3PM
WHERE: Long Beach, CA - Message on Instagram @lbfoodnotbombs for exact location
$$$: Venmo @fnb-lb to fund water, hygiene supplies, socks/underwear, pet food, tents and tarps.
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