Who We Are
We are neighbors concerned about our communities and helping to make sure those most vulnerable and affected by COVID-19 get the help they need. We are committed to helping ‘flatten the curve’ and ensuring that COVID-19 is not spread through mutual aid work. We are volunteer run, with no paid staff, and our aid comes directly from the community.
What We’re Doing
We are enabling neighbors to share information and resources and helping to match neighbors in need with neighbors able to support (especially supporting access to groceries, medicine, and supplies). Our work is centered around neighborhood pods, which is an organizing model for getting everyone in an area what they need, and doing welfare check-ins regularly by people in their own communities.
Who We Are Prioritizing
We are prioritizing those most vulnerable and affected by COVID-19: the sick, elderly, disabled, undocumented, single parents, queer, Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, those quarantined without pay, and those limited in work.
What Do We Mean by “Mutual Aid”?
Mutual Aid is neighbors supporting neighbors in the spirit of solidarity to meet survival needs, as opposed to non-profit/charity or government work where folx are dependent on a central organization. We recognize that the community knows best what its needs are and how to meet them.
Mutual Aid supports all our neighbors, but we recognize current and historical oppression and want to prioritize meeting the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors including the poor, sick, elderly, disabled, undocumented, queer, Black, Brown, Indigenous and/or people of color.
Mutual Aid is political and anti-oppressive by nature, and focused on creating long-term, sustainable systems of interdependent community care that ultimately lead to a more resilient and self-reliant Tompkins County. We want to foster a culture of collectivism in Tompkins County where individualism and existing government and non-profit systems have failed.
Services
If you would like to request aid (petty cash assistance, groceries, supplies, medicine, delivery), AND/OR if you would like join our volunteer network to provide aid, fill out the Request/Give Aid form
When a request for aid is made, we match the person in need with someone in our volunteer network who can meet the need. Those matched coordinate the details.
If you would like to get involved setting up community pods in Tompkins County, reach out to:
Matt Stupak, 607-279-9805, mattstupak@gmail.com
Kate Cardona, 646-932-6153, kate.w.cardona@gmail.com
For updates in Tompkins County related to COVID-19 and other helpful information, check out the Daily Rundown
For updated information about the various resources available, please visit our Community Resource Folder
For information on food pantries in Tompkins County, check out the Food Pantry Update or subscribe to the Food Pantry Google Calendar
Donate
If you would like to directly support your neighbors financially, please contribute to the Tompkins Mutual Aid! We will match donations with people who request petty cash through our Mutual Aid Form (we prioritize the poor, sick, elderly, disabled, undocumented, queer, Black, Brown, Indigenous and/or people of color).
We have three donation options. Our GoFundMe campaign is a tax-deductible 501(c)3 donation through the Tompkins County Workers’ Center; our Venmo and Paypal accounts are not tax-deductible, but allow us to receive the funds immediately.