APRIL 2024
Haga clic aquí para ver El Despacho de Abril en español.
Click here to view The April 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: WAR TAX RESISTANCE
I know it’s tax season because Beyoncé is dropping a project (I’m writing from a pre-Cowboy Carter world!) and everyone on my social media feeds is complaining about having to do their damn taxes. I scroll through the posts in confusion. I thought we all agreed to stop paying taxes in protest of our tax dollars funding genocides across the globe?
Being self-employed and a procrastinator, I quietly stopped sending my quarterly taxes in October, and waited for an organizer to tell me what the next steps were. I waited until my anxiety got the better of me and I started researching myself, which is how I found The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC). Thank God for this resource or there would be a much much higher chance of me going to prison for tax evasion.
It turns out that war tax resistance is a centuries-old form of civil disobedience, and a pretty simple one—file your taxes or don’t. Pay a percentage or none at all. There’s no standard way to do it, but some methods are riskier than others. However, I feel that this is the least we could do living in the imperial core. This direct action feels more impactful than boycotting corporations, especially after using the money I’ve set aside for my taxes to fund local mutual aid groups and families in Palestine.
I don’t have to detail how all of our suffering is connected, but this is one way to put your money where your mouth is. It may seem small, but what if everyone did it? They can’t arrest all of us.
If you’re interested, I encourage you to click through the NWTRCC website or contact a counselor in case you have any questions. They’ve seen an increase in interest since October and have started offering several livestreams aimed at answering questions! Here’s a link to their most recent presentation.
Written by Aiyonna who definitely paid her taxes if the IRS is reading.
FEATURED EFFORT: J-TOWN ACTION AND SOLIDARITY
Every Saturday, you can find a lively group of volunteers and community members on the corner of 1st and Judge Aiso in Little Tokyo distributing meals, hygiene kits and supplies, and power– literally. J-Town Action and Solidarity’s (JAS) weekly Power Up events with We the Unhoused provide necessary aid and hot meals to Little Tokyo’s unhoused population and housed community members, in an effort to strengthen solidarity across identities.
"... many folks [we serve] are tenants of Little Tokyo’s few remaining Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units, while others are simply working class folks living nearby who could use a good, free meal and some water,” Steven, an organizer with JAS said.
State violence against the unhoused population of Little Tokyo is hardly new, as unhoused community members in Little Tokyo (and elsewhere in the city) have faced displacement, destruction of belongings, and disrespect, but the advent of the failed Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 and Kevin de Leon’s designation of Toriumi Plaza as a Special Enforcement Zone escalated the situation. The violent sweep and closure of Toriumi Plaza in 2022 and subsequent weekly sweeps of the area with little regard for where the displaced go, only reinforce that our current system prioritizes aesthetic and comfort for a select few, always at the expense of unhoused residents. Two years later, JAS continues to practice community care and assist in imagining futures without the state-sanctioned violence against unhoused residents that currently pervades our city.
What’s striking about JAS’s efforts is the thoughtfulness underpinning the service they provide. In addition to meals, hygiene kits, and supplies like tents, tarps, and blankets, JAS provides a space for neighbors to charge devices. The power station provides a necessary and often overlooked service to our unhoused neighbors for whom power is not always readily available, and fills gaps left in public services by COVID-19-era shut-downs.
Furthermore, their fight to protect Little Tokyo and prevent gentrification-induced displacement remains on full display as they continue to go to bat for Suehiro Cafe, a neighborhood fixture recently evicted by landlord Anthony Sperl. JAS’s weekly picket line forces residents to confront what is lost when dominant business and landlord interests go unchecked, and offers alternative ways forward. Among their demands is a call for Sperl to include the Little Tokyo community in selecting the business that takes Suehiro’s place. More recent looming threats of gentrification in Little Tokyo include a new construction project on 4th and Central(rumored to be a luxury real estate development) that threatens to bring in high-end businesses and increased policing.
In addition to their on-the-ground work, JAS facilitates extensive political education efforts in order to ensure that their efforts continue to be grounded in radical and hopeful theories of change. Through monthly Maoist and feminist reading groups, JAS continues to work towards more principled organizing rooted in the fight against the worsening climate, high cost of living, and imperialist, genocidal wars.
Community members can help sustain the continued work of JAS by donating money (recurring donations are best!), new hygiene supplies and materials, tents and tarps, and new or gently used clothes. You can sign up to volunteer at weekly Power Up events HERE.
How YOU can contribute...
- FOLLOW J-Town Action and Solidarity @JTownAction on Instagram or Twitter and SHARE fundraising and anti-gentrification efforts. While you’re there, be sure to check out their LinkTree!
- GIVE MONEY to J-Town Action and Solidarity here.
- VOLUNTEER your time to assist with J-Town Action and Solidarity’s fundraising, Power Up events, or weekly picket lines. Submit a volunteer interest form to get started.
Written by Alli, who helps with the Mutual Aid LA Network Dispatch and is an occasional guest star at Produce in the Park
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: Resilient Agency
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: FOOD
Resilient Agency distributes free food and groceries four times a month to South LA + Echo Park residents most impacted by violence. Contact mguedel@resilientagency.org or DM @resilient_agency to volunteer or w/ any q’s.
WHEN: 4/9 3-5pm, 4/12 10am-12pm, 4/19 2-4pm, and 4/25 11-1pm
WHERE: 1258 W. Temple St (4/9), 1235 W. Temple St (4/12), 5798 S. Figueroa (4/19), 4920 S. Avalon Blvd (4/25)
$: Donate on our website to help us sustain food, resource and youth development services.
WHO: Echo Park Mutual Aid
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
An alliance of housed & unhoused neighbors in Echo Park building solidarity in order to alleviate the precarity of living outside, and deepen our understanding of the contradictions at hand. Distributing basic survival and healthcare supplies. We are looking for comrades in Echo Park who want to conspire w/ us. Reach out on IG @e_p_m_a_
COLLECTING: Tents, tarps, wool blankets, hand warmers, 8oz butane canisters, hygiene supplies, instant coffee + food that can be cooked with hot water
WHEN: Every 1st & 3rd Monday, 4:00 pm in-person
WHERE: Picnic tables @ EPL (Park Ave & Logan St.)
$: Donate via patreon.com/EchoParkMutualAid
WHO: Pomona College Sustainability
YOU HAVE: TIME
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
As EcoReps with Pomona College (@pomonaecoreps), we reduce waste + advance environmental justice. If your group is interested in any of the below items we collect, email adlo2022@mymail.pomona.edu to schedule a pick up.
COLLECTING: During college move-out season, we collect masses of pre-loved clothing, school supplies, dishware, bedding, packaged snacks + dorm furniture (lamps, fans, etc).
WHEN: Collection occurs April 21-May 14
WHERE: Pomona College, 333 N College Way, Claremont, CA 91711
WHO: Community Loving
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
CL (@communityloving) provides basic essentials to low-income families + youth in the South Bay area so that they can do more than survive. We host monthly Boutiques for people to freely "shop" in a fun family-friendly environment. We are facing extreme financial burden and need community support to help keep us operating. We also need volunteers before and after Boutiques and for sorting.
COLLECTING: Collecting baby, kids, & men's clothes & baby essentials
WHEN: Tuesday, April 9th from 6-9pm (#SAVECOMMUNITYLOVING Fundraiser). Boutiques are every 3rd Sunday from 10am-12pm.
WHERE: Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne (#SAVECOMMUNITYLOVING Fundraiser). Boutiques are at Alondra Park in Lawndale.
$: Donate at GIVEBUTTER.COM/SAVE-CL to help CL with expenses like rent, event fees, & supplies
WHO: Food for Comrades
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
We are abolitionists fighting for food sovereignty + housing justice through food recovery and mutual aid. We are looking for drivers to pick up recovered food, and volunteers to help us prepare it! DM @foodforcomrades or email freefoodcollective@gmail.com if interested in volunteering and/or w/ q’s.
WHEN: Sundays 11:00am - 2:00pm, Wednesdays 11:30am - 1:30pm, & more!
WHERE: Mid-city, Westside, & the Valley
$: Help us raise money for hygiene supplies! Venmo: @foodforcomrades
WHO: 714 Mutual Aid
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS
We organize a weekly food distro w/ food we recover across Orange and LA counties + a monthly distro of hygiene + harm reduction items, food, + hydration. We also provide other groups w/ harm reduction items + clothing. Volunteers always needed @ weekly food distro. 714MutualAid@gmail.com or DM @714MutualAid for more info.
COLLECTING: Hygiene supplies, first aid supplies + dog food. Contact to coordinate a donation handoff.
WHEN: For safety we do not provide outreach specifics and have an on-boarding process.
WHERE: Please DM for more info.
$: Venmo: @mutualaid714 Cash App: $OCMutualAid
WHO: Mutual Aid Action LA
YOU HAVE: TIME MONEY
YOU NEED: ITEMS SERVICES FOOD
A community space (@mutualaidactionlosangeles), food co-op, and pay-what-you-can home goods center serving folks in MacArthur Park + South LA since 2007. Join our team of drivers to help bring fresh produce + supplies to food-insecure elders + families across the city on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons. There’s flexibility w/ vol frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) + length of shifts (ranging 45 min to 2 hours) Email lisareggiefranks or lmacdonaldemail @gmail if you’re interested.
WHEN: Tuesday +/or Wednesday afternoons (food delivery) • M-F 9am-6pm Sat+Sun: 9am-8pm (pantry hours)
WHERE: Westlake (2515 West 7th St. 90057) for food pick-up at our Community Pantry
$: Donate via Paypal to help us keep our space and provide supplies.
WHO: LA Community Fridges (LACF)
YOU HAVE: TIME ITEMS
YOU NEED: ITEMS FOOD
A decentralized network of fridges/pantries across the county that run on a redistribution of existing resources + a ‘take what you need, leave what you don’t’ ethos in an effort to increase access to fresh + nourishing foods for everyone. Add extra items to your grocery cart for a fridge or join weekly efforts like Tuesday’s pick-up or Produce in the Park. Keep supplies, like spray and rags, on hand to clean shelves and drawers + bags to toss expired food in. Help find an aligned biz or space willing to host a fridge. Contact lacommunityfoodshare@gmail.com if you own or work at a biz interested in hosting. Have access to a truck or enjoy lifting heavy appliances? Join the Fridge Movers signal! Follow @lacommunityfridges for info + ways to keep the fridge network alive & well. DM w/ any q’s.
COLLECTING: Unopened, unspoiled produce, shelf-stable items, beverages, hygiene products, bag, plasticware, ice packs for the freezer, condiments. Read the intro of Dispatch #14 for more ideas!
WHEN: Any time! Check the hours for each fridge, as they vary!
WHERE: Across LA, use our fridge map to locate the fridge closest to you!
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