Mutual Aid Is Growing Again — Not as Charity, But as Survival Strategy

Neighborhood networks are stepping up where institutions fall short — offering food, care, child support, and emergency aid through community-led organizing.

Mutual aid has always existed in Black communities — from church networks to block clubs to sorority/fraternity service traditions. But in recent years, these systems have seen a resurgence, driven not by trend but by necessity.

With rising housing instability, inconsistent access to healthcare, and uneven social services, people are turning to each other. Mutual aid networks operate on a simple premise: community members support community members — no application forms, no bureaucratic waiting lists, no judgment.

Organizers say the goal isn’t to replace institutional support — it’s to fill the gaps everyone already knows are there.

Food pop-ups, ride-shares to medical appointments, child care swaps, emergency rent assistance pools — these are not charity. They are community infrastructure.

And they are growing.

“We’re not helping strangers. We’re building the neighborhood we want to live in.”