Mutual Aid Edmonds

Project Theme: Mutual Aid

Target Audience and Location: Food Bank customers and supporters and wider community in Edmonds, Washington.

Mission: Educating and informing citizens about mutual aid, its impact on communities, and the ways it can positively impact systemic issues related to access to resources.

Project Description: Scholar Owen Lee and educator Scholar Nick Wellington knew they wanted to focus their project on the economic disparities that exist in their community. Their goal is to build awareness about mutual aid and directly meet some of the needs of those facing economic hardship by engaging volunteers who have something to give (help, time, items, money, etc.) with those who have an unmet need. Mutual aid is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit where people, not organizations or governments, take responsibility for caring for one another.

Through community engagement efforts to better understand individual needs, in partnership with the Edmonds Food Bank, this Scholar team has identified some affordable housing complexes whose residents access the food bank. They plan to build relationships with these community members to then engage, lead and leverage volunteers to directly meet specific needs they have. This could look like grocery delivery, cleaning, yard upkeep, or sourcing needed items and donations. They aim to create a more caring and connected community with a tangible way folks can help care for each other.

Watch this team’s project presentation at our virtual showcase event!