Gnome Support Network

What is Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is community working together to develop locally owned and managed solutions to community needs. Most often needs the existing external systems continioulsy fall short on. Mutual aid isn't an act, it is a process; built on the understanding that what benefits my neighbor benefits me. We are the ones who will be there when a hurricane hits. External systems will never respond as quickly as the people here do. A strong community is a sustainable one.

Every dollar we pay someone local is a dollar kept in the community. Buying online takes it all out; from a big box store it takes most. The more outside ownership/control the more there is taken out. Depending on how many self checkouts they have. Keeping solutions local we are making them sustainable. Mutual aid work to build permanent solutions, locally owned and operated by those who depend upon them most. Local solutions are inherintly the most sustainable solutions.

Finding or making answers locally keeps the benefits locally. Money spent in a local store will most likely be respent in the community, whereas money spent in a big box store is removing money from the community. Keeping profits locally strengtens locally. This also protects us during periods of disaster, not needing to rely on outside sources which will be cut off when disaster strikes.

There are things we cannot control or source locally, but the more we do the more sustainable we become. Gnomeaid works to expand these possibilites.