FEBRUARY 2024
Haga clic aquí para ver El Despacho de febrero en español.
Click here to view The February Dispatch in Spanish.
The LISTINGS section of the Dispatch–a roundup of ways to contribute to LA's mutual aid and community care-based efforts in the form of time, money and/or items as well as what resources each group offers–can be found by ⬇️ scrolling down ⬇️
A FEW WORDS ON: PUBLIC SPACE
I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about what public space means.
Public space as both a material place, and a unit to measure physical, emotional and ideological distance.
The vast sprawl of our mummified metropolis can make it difficult at times to diagnose what specific ailments are causing its organ failure and creaking bones. More importantly — and most frustratingly — it can feel extremely overwhelming trying to decide the most immediate and impactful approach to resuscitate and rehabilitate it.
The obvious and “easy” solution, of course, would be a rapid redistribution of wealth from an extractive ownership class combined with an immediate reversal of the decades of disinvestment by a local political establishment beholden to police leagues and real estate firms who have aided and abetted the deterioration of our schools, our transit, our housing stock, our green spaces, union jobs, our dignity.
I remain hopeful that we’ll eventually enact those changes through meaningful resistance and collective action. I am also not so naïve to believe that such a radical realignment of political economy will happen quickly enough to revive the body of the city and its citizenry. Five of our neighbors without shelter will have died in the street by the time I finish writing this draft tonight. They don’t have the luxury of waiting. The bottom-up coalition-building required to topple such top-down inequality and austerity first needs a literal common ground on which to meet.
This is why public spaces, as sites of possibility, are so critical. As refutations of the profit-centers and speculative rent-seeking that define the character of the rest of the city, our parks, playgrounds, streets and neighborhood gardens serve as sites of community and commonality. Because they thrust typically isolated and segregated strangers into occupying the same space, public spaces shrink the towering scope of the city. They bring us together, make our common concerns more manageable and help simplify and expedite the repairs necessary for the communities that give the city its heartbeat.
And it’s within these public spaces where the most immediate material benefit can reach our neighbors—collaborative acts that help suture the wounds of precarity in real time while alleviating the aches and pains of our ever-widening alienation: Mutual Aid. Whether at Produce in the Park or weekly outreach for our housing- and food-insecure neighbors in Lincoln Heights, mutual aid finds people coming together, as one, to provide direct action and sustained networks of care for folks who can’t afford to wait on the results of the next election cycle. Mutual aid is a bridge in a city that loves fences. Mutual aid defies the logic of enclosure, gentrification, militarization, privatization and privation — all accumulative forces that profit from keeping us fragmented and unconcerned with mutual obligation. We can, and should, depend on each other.
And fuck fences! From Echo Park Lake to the People’s Park in Berkeley to the torn-down fence in Gaza — our world and shared humanity becomes much smaller and more legible when we share the same space and the same resources. Let’s act like our neighbors are just within arm’s reach, because they are.
Written by Erik Abriss who organizes with MALAN’s Lincoln Heights outreach team
FEATURED EFFORT: THE PUBLIC SCHOOL LOS ANGELES
Founded in 2007 under Telic Arts Exchange, The Public School is a groundbreaking initiative that emerged from a desire to redefine education and challenge traditional structures. We operate as a decentralized, non-hierarchical educational platform with no fixed curriculum. In 2007, conversations about alternative pedagogical models, the exploitative nature of traditional educational institutions, and ways to create new forms of knowledge evolved into a space where classes are proposed and organized by the public.
At its core, The Public School is guided by several underlying values that set it apart. From the project’s inception, we have prioritized the democratization of knowledge, believing that education should not be confined within the walls of academic institutions. We continue to strive to make learning accessible to everyone. The Public School's decentralized model allows anyone to propose a class that anyone can attend, fostering a sense of inclusivity and shared ownership of the learning experience. We reject accreditation, degrees, and affiliations with public school systems, and operate on the assumption that knowledge is interconnected and can be found in everything. The project thrives on self-education, autonomy, and resistance to institutionalized structures.
We offer all of our classes (such as the upcoming Psychoanalysis in the Soviet Union), workshops (on topics like wilderness skills, somatic practices, and post-capitalist infrastructures), reading groups (on materialist feminism, the first volume of “Capital,” and Los Angeles’ Political economy, to name a few), and film screenings (see our upcoming Collective Cinema series) for free or at a minimal cost, reflecting a commitment to the intrinsic value of knowledge over financial considerations—education should be a public service rather than a commodity.
After over a decade of continuous operation, The Public School, like many other radical endeavors, suffered immensely in 2020 and was unable to continue on in its established location. Since then, classes have taken place at various venues around the city as the team works tirelessly to regain the momentum we had prior to the pandemic. We recently launched a new class roster for the first half of the year, and are expanding the project to provide other needed services to the city, including a community mental health project called Mutual Aid Self/Social Therapy, open to anyone who wants to learn skills to help overcome emotional difficulties and deal with trauma and burnout in their community outside of the therapy office.
The Public School is both an educational experiment and a revolutionary concept that seeks to transform the landscape of learning. The always-evolving project features multiple subject tracks for upcoming curriculums, including politics & theory, mental health, media & aesthetics, and practical skills workshops, and we’re aiming to offer more all the time. The proposal form for classes stays open all year and we’re actively scheduling new classes every month, so keep checking our pages for updates!
How YOU can contribute…
- ATTEND a class! You can check out the 2024 course roster for upcoming events and classes.We’ll release a detailed schedule soon.
- PROPOSE a class on a topic you feel passionate about or submit an idea for an ongoing book club by filling out this form.
- GIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT via our Patreon account. Funds help us to compensate the venues we work with and eventually secure a permanent space.
- SHARE YOUR SPACE if you’ve got physical space and are open to hosting classes (ideally for free). Email thepublicschoollosangeles@gmail.com and let us know!
- VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME by helping the admin team coordinate teachers and venues, schedule classes, build a new website, and more! Email us if interested.
- STAY IN THE KNOW by joining The Public School’s email list, joining their Discord server or simply FOLLOW ALONG on social media (@thepublicschoolla) and SHARE the classes we’re offering with your circles, even if you can’t attend. The more people that know and attend, the merrier!
Written by Mel who organizes with The Public School and Mutual Aid Self/Social Therapy
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.
WHO: Hyperion Garden Project
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: FOOD
Hyperion Garden Project is a fun, low stress communal project on the border of Los Feliz/Silverlake. We welcome consistent volunteers with varying skill sets: Compost Coordinator (no experience needed, involves driving): We need help getting scraps from restaurants, turning compost, and coordinating. Experienced Gardeners: Knowledge of soil & and pest management very helpful. General Volunteers: no experience needed. Fresh air & fresh veggies await you! CONTACT: Hyperion Garden Project or alex.malek@groundgamela.org for address & details.
WHEN: General volunteers can join our regular group gardening meetups on Sundays 11am-1pm. Compost coordinators and experienced gardeners can visit on their own schedule.
WHERE: Near Hyperion Ave and Tracy Street in Los Feliz. (DM or email for specific address)
$: Donate via ActBlue
WHO: CAT911SFV
YOU HAVE: TIME
YOU NEED: SERVICES
Community Action Team 911 San Fernando Valley is a collective located in the San Fernando Valley, Tongva Land. CAT 911 is about building transformative justice that lets us take control of our lives and our communities into our own hands and nurtures each other’s growth and human possibility. We are looking for more people to join our collective as we work to expand and grow our coalition to create opportunities for liberation, mutual aid, and healing within the SFV. If you are interested in connecting, please feel free to email us at cat911sfv@gmail.com or visit our Instagram @cat911sfv.
WHEN: CAT911SFV host meetings every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 6-7pm via zoom
WHERE: Zoom (online)
WHO: The Feeling is Mutual - A Bingo Night Fundraiser to Support Unhoused Outreach in Lincoln Heights
YOU HAVE: ITEMS MONEY
Come play BINGO on Valentine's Day! With friends, with a lover, or come solo! This night is hosted by the Lincoln Heights outreach team in an effort to raise funds for winter supplies and pet food for a weekly outreach to unhoused folks in the neighborhood. The event location, in Lincoln Heights, will be sent to those that RSVP. Entrance is free. $15 to play bingo (5 cards) with the option to buy more cards. Food & drink will be available for purchase and raffle prizes will be announced in the coming weeks. Item donations accepted onsite!
COLLECTING: Baby Supplies, Hygiene Products, Pet Food, Sleeping Bags, Tarps, Tents, Unworn Underwear
WHEN: February 14th, 2024, 7-10 PM
WHERE: Lincoln Heights, location to be emailed out to those who RSVP at tinyurl.com/feelingmutual
$: Can't make it? You can still donate towards weekly outreach food and supplies (Venmo @Will_Lennon | CashApp $WillLennon)
WHO: Long Beach Care Mutual Aid
YOU HAVE: ITEMS
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
We are a mutual aid group based out of Long Beach that organizes with unhoused neighbors living along the riverbed. We aim to meet their material needs by providing blankets, harm reduction, pet supplies, hygiene kits, coffee, water and meals.
COLLECTING: Pet supplies, food, water, tarps
WHEN: Sundays 9:00 am-12:00 pm
WHERE: Los Angeles Riverbed (PCH to Shoreline)
$: Venmo: @lbcmutualaid. Funds will be used to purchase items we cannot source for free: pet food, water
WHO: Hope Street Distro
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
Our small team distributes meals, water & supplies (hygiene products, OTC meds, harm reduction, pet needs) to ~100 unhoused neighbors who lately, have been getting swept 1-2 times each week. Your support is needed. Have access to a car? DM @hopestdistro to sign-up and join us for a distribution.
COLLECTING: Tents, blankets + sleeping bags (new or gently used)
WHEN: Most Sundays from 12-3pm
WHERE: South Central - Our route covers several blocks between S Hope to S Main
$: Cash donations are preferred (Venmo @melissa-moultonchurch w/ comment “hope ❤️”) and help us buy tents (Walmart’s are cheapest) OR shop our Amazon list.
WHO: Aetna Street Solidarity
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES
Aetna Street Solidarity is building a network of care with people living unhoused on Aetna Street. We host weekly community nights where we distribute mutual aid. We also publish a newspaper called Street Views, which features stories and original reporting on housing & homelessness from unhoused contributors living in Los Angeles.
COLLECTING: Tents, tarps, blankets, sleeping bags, baby wipes, clothing (shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets), new socks and underwear, headlamps, flashlights, AA/AAA batteries & power bank chargers. DM us on IG to coordinate a drop-off or pick-up in the SFV.
WHEN: Tuesdays after 5pm on Aetna Street
WHERE: Van Nuys, SF Valley
$: Donated funds help purchase supplies. Venmo @paisthebills (note “Aetna Solidarity”).
WHO: Jail Support LA
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: SERVICES
Jail Support LA is dedicated to supporting anti-repression work by providing emergency bail for protestors and all around taking care of people experiencing arrest. JSLA serves as an info hub for those affected by arrests around a direct action, and also mobilizes supporters to call and confirm details of arrestees like the holding location, bail + demand their release. Caught a charge yourself? Or want to get further involved? Text or call the jail support line: 424-388-1230.
WHEN: TBD, shifts vary
WHERE: LA County, remote & in-person
$: Donations go toward paying emergency bail. Venmo @jailsupportLA
WHO: The Valley of Change (TVOC)
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
TVOC is a nonprofit whose mission is to liberate Black people from systems of oppression and brutality. We work to uplift marginalized + underserved communities by protesting police brutality and racism, distributing backpacks to children, organizing community clean-up days + cooking + distributing meals. While we protest on the corner of Sepulveda Blvd + Ventura Blvd, we provide resources (food, drinks, clothing, shoes, hygiene kits + more) to our unhoused neighbors. Follow @thevalleyofchange to find out about volunteer opportunities & DM if interested.
COLLECTING: Non-perishable food + ingredients for meal distribution, bottled water, hygiene products, socks + blankets.
WHEN: Upcoming Feed Our Friends in Need event on February 10th from 9 am - 12 pm. Check our IG for more events. DM to coordinate a drop-off time.
WHERE: Based in the San Fernando Valley, but we serve the City of LA.
$: Donate via Donorbox to support our infrastructure, edu programs, meals + supplies for outreach.
WHO: The Other Health Brigade
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
We are a group of healers and caregivers providing free or donated services to vulnerable communities such as unhoused and BIPOC people. Members give a variety of services like free monthly haircuts, reiki, journaling, herbal remedies and more. Projects include working w/ the unhoused community on Saturdays, monthly community haircuts, and healing at Project Room Key sites.
COLLECTING: Massage table. Art supplies. Journals. Socks. Beanies. Blankets. Jackets. Tents. Cough medicine.
WHEN: Upcoming events include Mama & Village Circle on Sunday January 28 1pm-3pm and Escuelita with families for collective learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-12pm
WHERE: Ooxor Aweeshko, 5154 Wadena, Los Angeles, 90032
$: Venmo @Martha-escudero-1
WHO: Pasadena for All
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
Pasadena for All is a grassroots org striving to provide supportive aid to and political advocacy for unhoused folks in Pasadena. We provide food, water, clothing, hygiene kits, and other supplies to our unhoused neighbors during our weekly Saturday outreach. Sign up for outreach via the link on our IG @pasadenaforall. You can also volunteer at Pasadena's only bad weather shelter every Monday night and on weather-activated nights. More info on our IG.
WHEN: Saturdays @10am
WHERE: Northeast corner of Central Park in Pasadena
$: Patreon or Cashapp $pasadenaforall. Funds go towards food,water,etc
WHO: Mask Bloc LA
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
We are a queer, BIPOC & disabled Covid prevention group focused on mask distribution as mutual aid in order to keep our communities safe(r) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We distribute high-quality masks & Covid tests to individuals, families & orgs so people can work, gather & organize as safely as possible in the face of the mass minimization of a deadly & disabling virus. We hope our work serves as a call-in for those who identify as leftists to (re)commit to accessibility, disability justice & community care as lived values so our intersecting movements can thrive & nobody is left behind. We deliver!
WHEN: Ongoing basis. Donate, share, request masks any time.
WHERE: Fill out Mask Request Form any time & let us know if your request is time-sensitive. Delivery available.
$: Venmo @MaskBlocLA | Cashapp $MaskBlocLA. Donations goes toward tools to keep each other safe!
WHO: LA Street Care
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
We're an abolitionist mutual aid collective building community through direct outreach to unhoused neighbors. We're looking for new members to join us for outreach Sundays and/or sweep monitoring some weekday mornings. We have additional roles for folks unavailable at those times. Fill out our new member form if you're interested in joining!
WHEN: Sundays at 1pm, some weekday mornings
WHERE: Los Feliz, Echo Park, Atwater, Historic Filipinotown, Silverlake, and Rampart
$: opencollective.com/lastreetcare
WHO: Gracie’s Giving Hands
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
We provide housing for formerly incarcerated + unhoused individuals, as well as serve the community of Skid Row.
COLLECTING: Hygiene Kits, Men’s Clothing, Bath Towels, Blankets, etc.
WHEN: Ongoing
WHERE: Los Angeles
$: Cashapp graciesghands | Zelle info@graciesgivinghands.org
Submit your mutual aid effort to be listed in next month's Dispatch!
Looking for resources like food, clothing, financial assistance, immigration support, employment, etc? Visit our Resource Catalog!
Know of any helpful resources? Add them to the Resource Catalog!
Contribute money to help sustain the efforts of Mutual Aid LA Network
Find out how you can get involved.