AUGUST 2023
Haga clic aquí para ver El Despacho de agosto en español.
Click here to view The August Dispatch in Spanish.
OUR STRUGGLE WITH HISTORY
Recently, MALAN’s political education group discussed the need to recognize that people have struggled for liberation long before us. The weight of liberatory action can feel overwhelming when we map it against the lengthy history of oppression. But capitalism is maintained by alienating us from our long record of resistance, just as it alienates us from our communities. We examine and acknowledge the history of those who have struggled to dispel the lie that there is no other way but capitalism.
From generational wealth built on stolen land by stolen people to rainbow capitalism and redlining, racial capitalism mythologizes progress to hide exploitation and white supremacy. For that reason alone we must work with an honest and thorough recollection of the past. From fugitivity to picket lines, people have shown overwhelming resistance to capitalism’s so-called prosperity. The marooned, the radical, the organizer, and the revolutionary are the blueprints of our success. Instead of defeat we face landlords, politicians, and police who violently insist capitalism is the only way.
The state has only offered violence, both banal and horrific, in response to acts of mutual aid. They use segregation by borders or prison cells or inside “safe” hotel rooms to conceal systemic failures, the same way they conceal brutal exploitation with incomplete histories. The state discredits and punishes anyone who resists the demands of racial capitalism. Understanding the history of resistance is proof that no state will unite us in community.
Furthermore, a violent capitalist state does not change the fact of our resistance. Mutual aid is how we survive, by connecting with one another and building community over time. Understanding the long struggle for liberation connects old fights with new. We refuse to leave people behind. Instead, we bridge past struggles with an ongoing communal effort that transcends the borders of time and bonds us with everyone who challenged capitalism before us.
Written by matthew clark who organizes with Mutual Aid LA Network
FEATURED EFFORT: Polo’s Pantry
Food energizes us, brings us pleasure, connects us to culture and builds or strengthens community. But access to fresh and nutritious foods is not equitable. This present reality - coupled with a dream of people enjoying true food sovereignty - is what motivates Los Angeles-based Polo’s Pantry to organize their way to food justice in Southern California.
Angeleno Melissa Acedera, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, has worked over 13 years in the food and beverage industry. Almost twenty years ago, her father passed away due to Type 2 Diabetes complications. This year, Melissa also lost her brother to heart failure. These losses, along with her firsthand experience of food insecurity, inspired Melissa to begin working toward solutions that would connect food insecure communities with healthy ingredients and empower them to decide what food justice looks like for themselves.
Named in memory of her father, Melissa founded Polo’s Pantry when she began picking up excess produce from local markets and distributing it from her car in 2018—first in Skid Row, then expanding into parts of Koreatown and Echo Park. In these neighborhoods, Melissa saw the effects of food apartheid firsthand and knew it was important to expand this work.
Today, Polo’s Pantry includes the paid efforts of Melissa and Director of Operations Nina Angelo. Supported by volunteers and organizers, they generate, guide and support food distributions in Los Angeles and Orange Counties through coalition building and connecting with organizers. They use recovered produce from local markets and farms, partnering with organizations like Food Forward and God’s Pantry and picking up excess meals from Everytable. Polo’s purchases food from local BIPOC farmers, providing financial support to marginalized vendors by purchasing foods that can be sent straight into neighborhoods that need them via distributions.
Each distribution is unique. Teens from Las Fotos Project run the distro in Boyle Heights. In South LA and Compton, Polo’s Pantry works alongside Miss Rodgers’ Neighborhood to provide resources for grocery distribution. And in the Coachella Valley and Santa Maria, Polo’s Pantry collaborates with Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, an advocacy organization, to offer monthly produce distributions to farm worker families. Here, volunteers - many of them experienced in farm work themselves - transform truckloads of produce into colorful boxes of fruits and vegetables for pick up.
Another effort under Polo’s umbrella is Home-y Made Meals, a project that began in March 2020 with the goal of harnessing Angelenos' desire to share meals with their unhoused neighbors while accounting for the safety needs and capacities of all involved. The result has been a joyous web of volunteers - some who prepare meals in their homes and some who transport them - culminating in a pass-the-baton style operation that distributes hundreds of meals.
Polo’s believes true food justice can only occur when foods are available to everyone equitably at the systemic level. That is why they work to empower neighborhoods to build their own food systems tailored to their needs. They do this by hosting youth-focused educational events where experts like urban farmers and food scientists share their knowledge. Additionally, Polo’s makes their office at The Robinson SPACE in East Hollywood available as a meeting space for organizing efforts, engages in advocacy work, and lends their expertise when food policy decisions are being made.
What would true food sovereignty look like? The answer is as complex as each community and as limitless as its members’ imaginations. Melissa imagines something along these lines: Neighbors learn the principles of growing their own foods in the soils and climate where they live and then put those principles into action. If or when that food is sold, it’s sold through a worker cooperative and the money goes back into the community. Land is used for community spaces like gardens and meeting centers. And folks eat foods that are relevant and meaningful to their cultures.
Polo’s Pantry distributed food to over 228,000 people in 2022 and continues to empower folks across Los Angeles and Orange Counties to reimagine their own food systems. A widely impactful grassroots effort like Polo’s Pantry needs people-power to keep the resources flowing.
How YOU can contribute…
- SHOW UP to the monthly Coachella Valley produce distro where vols are needed to set up, sort, distribute and clean up. DM Polo’s Pantry on IG or email Nina (nina@polospantry.org) for info. Consider getting a carpool together or contact MALAN to see if one already exists. Can’t make it out to Coachella? Head to another Polo’s-supported food distro like Miss Rodgers’ Neighborhood's Free Food Drive-thru.
- MAKE FOOD or DRIVE for Home-y Made Meals every few weeks. The organizers behind this project strive to make this experience as seamless and joyful as possible for everybody. Sign up here!
- FOLLOW Polo’s Pantry on IG @polospantryla (along with related efforts: @homeymademeals, @missrodgershood, @lasfotosproject, and @campesinasunite) to get in on their edu events/seminars and build knowledge and skills for imagining what food justice looks like in your community.
- DONATE (Venmo @polos-pantry | Cashapp $PolosPantryLA) to support various distros, community events and plans to compensate organizers and maintain a food and material storage hub
Written by Katie Hensley who organizes with Mutual Aid LA Network
DO YOU HAVE TIME, ITEMS*, OR MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE?
DO YOU NEED ITEMS, SERVICES, OR FOOD?
It’s important for us to acknowledge and credit talented artist and designer Elisa Wong of Little Wins Studio as a huge inspiration for the listings section of The Dispatch. Check out her impressive body of work at elisawong.com and on IG @elisadoesstuff, especially her LA Donation Guide set of graphics (posted 4/21/21) which was without a doubt the spark that started The Dispatch.
*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.
WHO: Norfside Long Beach Outreach
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
Through monthly supply distribution, we connect with unhoused community members across North Long Beach to better determine their needs. Our distribution involves driving to multiple spots; new volunteers can join experienced folks’ cars if they don’t feel comfortable driving. COLLECTING non-perishables, clothes, blankets, hygiene & menstrual items, and cat/dog food. We ask that canned goods do not require a can opener. IG DM @norfsidelb_outreach to coordinate a drop-off.
WHEN: 8am-11am on the last Sunday of each month
WHERE: North Long Beach (location shared before distro)
$$$: Donate via Venmo. Receipts for all purchases posted on our IG
WHO: Pasadena for All
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
Pasadena for All provides food, water, hygiene kits + other supplies to Pasadena's unhoused community, including weekly outreach on Saturday mornings. Sign up for an outreach event via the link in our IG @pasadenaforall bio.
WHEN: Saturdays @ 10AM
WHERE: Northeast corner of Central Park in Pasadena
$$$: One-off donations on CashApp $pasadenaforall/Venmo @raquel-calderon w/note "P4A donation" and monthly Patreon donations all go toward the food, water and hygiene items we distribute weekly.
WHO: Aetna Street Solidarity
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
Aetna Street Solidarity is a network of community organizers dedicated to building a more visionary and inclusive world for folks living on Aetna Street. We need help at the community nights we host on Tuesdays, where we cook hot meals and share harm reduction and hygiene supplies. COLLECTING ice packs, tents, sleeping bags/blankets, clothing, shoes, hygiene items (menstrual, dental, baby wipes), OTC meds, new socks + undies, coloring books, art supplies. IG DM @aetnastreetsolidarity to coordinate a handoff in the SFV or re: helping out at a community night, or just show up!
WHEN: Tuesday nights from 5-9PM
WHERE: Van Nuys Blvd @ Aetna St. (Off Van Nuys Orange Line metro station)
$$$: Venmo @paisthebills (note “Aetna Solidarity”) to help purchase coolers + ice packs to provide some relief for folks during the intense heatwaves.
WHO: Power Blossoms
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: SERVICES
Power Blossoms works with LGBTQ+ people incarcerated or detained across CA. Help us process and respond to mail at our work sessions! Or help remotely with online data entry, or write a birthday card on our site. COLLECTING: unused stamps, white 8.5”x11” paper, and standard business envelopes. Mail them to our PO Box at 1525 N. Alvarado St. #26961, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Or contact us (IG DM @powerblossoms or email connect@powerblossoms.org) to coordinate a drop-off.
WHEN: Every other Wednesday from 7–9 PM (Work sessions)
WHERE: ProjectQ in East Hollywood
$$$: Your contributions (Venmo: @Powerblossoms | CashApp: $powerblossoms) help fund supplies, operations and may also be distributed as direct financial support for our inside participants.
WHO: Fairfax Mutual Aid (FxMA)
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
Fairfax Mutual Aid is a volunteer-led network of care formed to provide community support through material aid, providing transportation to resources, encampment sweep support and policy advocacy. Outreach occurs every Sun., and we have sporadic emergency transport and material aid requests. COLLECTING: tents, tarps, hygiene items, socks & undergarments, sunscreen, bulk beverages/snacks and tracfones/minutes cards. DM @fairfaxmutualaid or Email fairfaxmutualaid@gmail.com to coordinate drop-offs any time. Due to capacity issues, ability to pick-up is limited.
WHEN: Sundays from 1-3PM.
WHERE: Fairfax and surrounding neighborhoods
$$$: Make a tax-deductible donation (via Open Collective) to help w/ supplies, transport to appointments.
WHO: City Hall Sessions Los Angeles
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
City Hall sessions of Los Angeles is a group that's dedicated to changing the world for the better. COLLECTING canned goods, cosmetics, and blankets for unhoused neighbors. DM on IG @chslosangeles to coordinate donation hand-off or to get involved.
WHEN: Fridays from 5-7 PM
WHERE: On the corner of 5th and San Pedro (in DTLA)
$$$: You can support via Venmo: @chslosangeles or shop the Amazon wishlist
WHO: Long Beach Food Not Bombs
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
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. IG DM @lbfoodnotbombs to coordinate a pick-up in Long Beach or North OC or to help at a distro.
WHEN: Sundays from 1-3PM
WHERE: DM on IG for exact location in Long Beach.
$$$: Venmo @fnb-lb Monetary donations go toward supplies, food and water.
WHO: Nomad Medix
YOU HAVE: MONEY
YOU NEED: SERVICES
Come learn life saving skills like packing gunshot wounds, applying tourniquets, and flushing pepper gel or bear mace, all techniques that have been deployed at protests and mutual aid distributions. Formed in 2020 to support the West Coast from state-sponsored violence.
WHEN/WHERE: Check @NomadMedix on IG for the current schedule
$$$: Donations go towards necessary equipment and furthering edu for safer communities. CashApp $NomadMedix | Venmo @NomadMedix | GoFundMe
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