MANYC: Community Resources and Ways to Get Involved

January 26, 2022

MANYC Spotlight: Community Resources Team

Mutual Aid NYC’s Community Resources team is dedicated to supporting city-wide mutual aid efforts by connecting New Yorkers in crisis to vital resources in their community through our online platform, resource library, and hotline.

They created a Mutual Aid Groups Directory to make it easy for New Yorkers and neighborhood organizations to discover their closest, active mutual aid group. The library has been used by New Yorkers across the city trying to find volunteer opportunities, and by New Yorkers looking for Mutual Aid group support.

Any recent updates?

We quality check the mutual aid groups in our directory regularly to make sure the info is the most up to date, we have almost finished our 2022 check so we invite/encourage you to take a look at it again!

Looking to get involved?

Already a part of a mutual aid group? The For Groups and Organizers page includes ways to link your group with MANYC, tips for fundraising, MANYC support services offered, and more!

New to Mutual Aid? You can search the directory and reach out to your local group or sign up to volunteer with MANYC!

Please email us if you have any questions about the directory

Call to action →  If you know any resources and groups we can add, please add it here! This is all community-sourced so please help spread the word!

What’s going on with City Council?

• Legislation was introduced to end summons and return paid fines to New Yorkers regarding COVID vaccine violations. Councilman Kalman Yeger states that certain neighborhoods have been disproportionately targeted by the policy

  • Sponsors of the bill include: Kalman Yeger , Robert F. Holden, Joseph C. Borelli, Justin L. Brannan, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Ari Kagan, Amanda Farías

• A feasibility study for the Interborough Express, a new proposed public transportation line connecting Brooklyn and Queens was completed. The project would connect 17 subway stops and run from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights

• City Council passed legislation phasing out fossil fuels for new building construction and renovations over the next 6 years 

On the Upside

• Increased rights for delivery app workers have been enacted. They are entitled to use customer bathrooms at restaurants when picking up orders, must be provided daily earnings reports by delivery platforms, and must be provided increased pay transparency regarding tips 

• In the coming year, two more delivery worker bills will be enacted, one which sets minimum pay standards and another which requires companies to pay for delivery insulation bags

Mutual Aid Opportunities

Remote

Run a Zoom workshop on written communication with Barrier Free Living: They work with survivors of domestic violence who have disabilities and are looking for a volunteer to run a virtual workshop to help front line staff build written communication skills such as email and letter writing

Learn more about BFL here and Donate here!

All Boroughs

Help people move with MANYC’s Moving Support Project: They are looking for volunteers to help bring furniture to people who have finally gotten homes. We are looking for movers, drivers, people who like to source items for free on the internet, project managers for the move days, and folks who might want to be liaisons with the people getting furniture. We practice covid safety protocols, and lunch is provided to all movers and drivers on move days!

Volunteers needed on the following dates: Feb 5, Feb 19, Mar 5, Mar 19. To find out more and sign up, email moving-support@mutualaid.nyc   

Brooklyn

Distribute produce and/or tidy the Free Store with Gowanus Mutual Aid: GMA is looking for people to help tidy the Free Store located on the corner of Douglass & Bond. You can sign up here for any day and any time!

GMA is also looking for 2-3 people to help load their delivery truck for January’s bulk produce distribution at the Recovery House of Worship on Schermerhorn St. Please email them at gowanusmutualaid@gmail.com if interested!

Resources of the Week: Brooklyn Local Mutual Aid Resources

Brooklyn Neighborhood Cooperative Food Project

A group of neighbors in Kensington-Flatbush are running a small bulk buying experiment to prioritize solidarity and safety. They imagine a food system and movements that work together to secure basic needs in the fight for a better world for everyone. Email foodcoopproject@gmail.com to receive the order form every other week

Call to action →  Venmo a donation to @murberry with the comment NCFP and share this fundraiser

Market Days from Gowanus Mutual Aid

GMA collects essential items and gives them to the community free of charge, typically on the last Saturday of each month at The Free Store on the corner of Douglass & Bond 

Call to action →  If you know of any organization that can help GMA collect donations of essential items, please email here

MANYC Self Promo

Request Help by:

• Going to the I Need Help page

• Searching for a local group

• Searching for a resource

• Calling the hotline at: 646-437-8080

Help by:

• Submitting a resource

• Getting involved

• Donating to Home is a Human Right

• Donating to a local mutual aid group

Other links:

• Leave feedback on the newsletter here!

• Follow us on Instagram

• Follow us on Twitter