The Practice of Mutual Aid & Community Care

by Nicole Sara Simpkins, Sarah Jane Keavney, Cara Carlson, Minkara Tezet

In mid-March, several community practitioners and elders began sharing concerns about our city”™s collective response to Covid-19. In particular, we were concerned for our neighbors who depend on social services, health clinics, and community for their basic needs and safety. We asked ourselves: what will happen when people without housing can”™t access public libraries, or the Midtown Global Market? Where will these community members find health and safety information? How can we continue to offer care and knowledge with the Backyard Community Health Hub closed? How will people stay safe when social distancing isn”™t possible in crowded shelters? What about the 700+ unsheltered people not currently on any priority list for housing and care?

We also asked, what would it be like to answer these questions from the standpoint of cultural and community wellness, informed by the Cultural Wellness Center”™s 21 Principles of Community/Cultural Health Practices? How would this response be different from a state, agency, or hospital system response? Where would the resources, expertise, and support come from?

When systems are tasked with providing care, words like prioritization, eligibility, service delivery, and vulnerability describe how we respond to human needs.… Read the rest “The Practice of Mutual Aid & Community Care”