General Best Practices and Suggestions

Before you go out, especially to reach homes you do not know, let someone close to you know where you are going.

Social distancing is extremely important, but a buddy system can still be used for safety and efficiency. Do your best to find other neighbors to organize with you. Go on rounds together when you can. Maintain 6 feet of distance if you do not live together, wear face coverings, and do not touch the same things.

If you are in a rural area, walking may not be the best way to get around. When using a buddy system, try to use two separate vehicles unless your buddy lives with you. For mutual aid work to be most helpful, we need to make equity a priority. Prioritize neighbors with fewer resources or less ability to advocate for themselves.

Try to walk your neighborhood around the same time each week or day, and include that information in the flyers you leave for people. This can allow people at home to speak to you directly if they want.

Not everyone has a phone or internet, and these are often the same people who most need help finding food and supplies. You may need to use different ways of contacting different people even though phones and texting are the best way to connect without spreading disease. Work out with your neighbors what will work best for them.

If you can, keep your neighbors contact info on paper, and do not share anyone’s contact info with the network or anyone else unless they explicitly say it is okay. You are not expected to share your neighborhood contacts with anyone.

Some neighborhood groups have a system of window signs: instruct neighbors to put up a red sign if you have an urgent need, yellow if you have a need that is not urgent, green if you’re fine, or white if you do not want to be contacted. Consider using letters or pictures/pictograms as well; some people are colorblind.