Thread by @mairaka

some cheer for ur TL: OUR LOCAL FARMS -> SOUTH SIDE MUTUAL AID FUNDRAISER ONLY HAS $5000 TO GO!!!

since April, we delivered 4400+ bags of produce/eggs/bread to 700 Black & low-income households, while getting $ to 20 local farms.

let's get to the finish exp.st/marketbox

we, ppl who work in diff orgs at 61st & Blackstone (@expstation), started MarketBox in response to COVID-19, in a wave of feeling useless & disconnected in March.

our team has journalists (@invinst & @SouthSideWeekly), coffee shop staff (@BuildCoffee),
& the ppl of @61market.

as the home of the @61market, we recognized that farmers markets shutting down meant that local farms would struggle & LINK recipients would have less access to fresh food. so, we partnered with Star Farm Chicago to expand & fund their CSA program, sourcing from 20 local farms.

we started with the goal of 40 households in the Woodlawn area, to ground ourselves with the goal of just being caring neighbors in a horrible time. if you were a part of ANY mutual aid program this year, you know that the needs are immense, and waitlists build quickly.

quickly, we became a network of 400 families per month. each house received a bag of fresh produce, eggs, bread & a @SouthSideWeekly every 2 wks. friends w/in the network, incl. participants, joined our weekly phone bank to check on each other. volunteers packed & delivered bags.

to meet demand, Star Farm Chicago stepped up to triple their CSA delivery load, adding two dozen volunteer delivery-drivers & packers!! we committed together to continue through the harvest season, the end of October.

help us get to 5k by Friday, Oct 30: exp.st/marketbox

THE highlight of my summer was Mondays on 54th & King w the People's Grab n Go (led by @trinattrill @niqjames @MattMuse12 @BLCKPRVLG) signing ppl up for MarketBox, a complement to the GNG's offerings.

i felt joy, useful, hopeful. in times of despair, we take care of each other.

as we face the raw weakness of a tenuous democracy in the US, we've learned through the rise of mutual aid efforts this year that WE shape the society & systems we want to see.

what starts as food becomes other resource connection, and today for me, it became voter assistance.

after voting we talked about what's next for MarketBox as winter arrives. helena & pat told me about life in old public housing, which we will record together.

how are u staying in touch w your network? how do we build our new relationships this year into collective civic power?

how can we stay committed neighbors to each other in the South Side this winter? we want to continue to provide resources, while building stronger relationships through storytelling.

pitch in to close out this season, and be a part of what comes next: exp.st/marketbox