It started with a question.
"How can you build community in a hyper-individualistic society?"
Mutual Aid networks are a great solution if you include casual social interaction. These networks also take time and effort. It’s also something that’s best done with another person for safety. In these economic times, it's hard for a lot of folks to organize.
But it'd be easier if there was one person dedicated to doing it- here I introduce to you the Community Care Taker.
A Community Care Taker is a person who takes care of a neighborhood by building a mutual aid network. They live with a Mutual Aid Host. The Mutual Aid Host will either provide a room for a person to stay in, or they will provide a space for the Community Care Taker to park or dock if they are a van-lifer or live in a boat.
The Mutual Aid Network is built with another person, both for safety and to delegate tasks.
Possible Arrangements:
Community Care Taker builds a Mutual Aid network with a Mutual Aid Host.
A Mutual Aid Host provides a residence, and two Community Care Takers build the Mutual Aid Network.
The Community Care Taker would have a similar position as a Workawayer. Workaway is a site where hosts provide free room and board to travelers who do up to 30 hours of volunteer work a week. For Community Care Takers, stays would be longer and there would be much more flexibility for those with disabilities.
A Community Caretaker does not do their role as a government employee, a nonprofit employee, or any other paid role through a business or organization. This gives flexibility to navigate situations that employees are not allowed to assist with, such as making phone calls. (Yes, phone calls. I bet you didn't think doing something like that is against the rules.)
They go beyond mutual aid. Ideally, they are a role model for healthy communication through listening, celebration, healthy boundaries, self care, and integrity. They connect with the people around them and bring them together for social events.
One possible way to help implement this idea would be to have a website such as Workaway to help match Community Care Takers to Mutual Aid Hosts. It would additionally help to have a resource to vet Care Takers and Hosts and provide online training on topics like Mutual Aid network building, social skills, and abuse prevention and responses.
Potential Tasks: -Food Distribution
-Resource Navigation
-Distribution of free services
-Distribution of information (ex. know your rights)
-Taxes: Informational Resources and Pomodoro Parties
-Borrowing site for Internet, Printing, and Faxing
-Community Meal Preparation
-Community Meals
-Transportation
-Emergency Preparedness
-Hosting a Voting Site
-Baby sitting
-Respite care
-Basic health care (ex. Things a doctor needs the patient to have family help with.)
-Foster parenting assistance
-Neighborhood Social Events
-Community Garden
-Exercise Groups
-Meditation Groups
Check the comments for a link with more information on how to build a mutual aid network.
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