Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund
Black Bears Building a Culture of Community Care
ABOUT US
Hello! We’re so glad you’re here!
The Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund is an organization by, of, and for the University of Maine community members including students, faculty, and staff, which aims to shift our community culture towards one of community care, solidarity, and interdependence. The BBMAF was founded in 2023 by a dedicated group of organizers passionate about community care and solidarity. The purpose of the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund is to alleviate economic inequality and hardships in the UMaine community by supporting networks, acts, and norms of mutual aid and community care.
Our goals are:
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To establish a fund where members of the UMaine community can place any disposable dollars or money they do not feel they need, in order to make that money accessible when community members do feel they need it.
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To practice community care by using this fund to facilitate mutual aid.
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To use the presence and impact of the fund to assist in modeling norms of mutual aid and community care.
The fund will be much like the emergency funds that exist on campus, except it will be community-led, available to all students, faculty, and staff, and free of the barriers that make many institutionally-led emergency aid funds difficult to access.
Meet the Core Organizers
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Mikayla Reynolds
Mikayla (she/her) is a graduate student pursuing her MBA with concentrations in Sustainability and Public & Non-Profit Management. She serves as the Lead Peer Coach for TRIO Student Support Services, where she partners with students to achieve their individual goals in the areas of well-being, academic strategy, and personal finance. Mikayla completed her undergrad as a first-gen, independent student. She's passionate about building equity, challenging systems, and creating positive change through individual and interdisciplinary work. Most days, you can find Mikayla not far from her coffee, journaling, or playing a board game.
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Nicole Cloud
Nicole (she/her) is an Advisor in TRIO Student Support Services at UMaine and also the Coordinator for the Peer Coaching division for the program. As a former first-gen, 0 EFC student, as well as a former adjunct instructor, she is passionate about shifting the lived realities of those who share her community, as well as the systems that perpetuate them. Most days you can find her reading, practicing yoga (shoutout to @TheSpiralGoddessCollective), and enjoying puns.
Clea Harrelson
Clea (she/her) is a PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Maine, where she explores social resilience in the American lobster fishery across Maine and Canada. Clea sees human to human mutual aid systems as fundamental to addressing not only human needs but also multi-species justice. When she's not diving into ocean and fisheries policy and research, you can find her hiking the Maine coast or enjoying a good cup of tea—preferably both at the same time.
Catherine Segada
Catherine (she/her) is a graduate student in the Anthropology and Environmental Policy program. At UMaine, she is the graduate assistant for Commuter and Non-Traditional Student Programs, a research assistant for her program, and a GSG Senator. She cares deeply about fair and community-centered planning, believing that work should always include and benefit the community. During her free time, Catherine is usually found attempting to knit, watching a new documentary, or on the phone with her family.
Taylor Lange
Taylor (he/him) works as a Research Associate at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, and does research related to economic development, contaminated land cleanup, and resource management. His focus at BBMAF is on using insights from his academic research on human cooperation and mutual aid to help build equity and resilience in his community. When not hunched over his desk working on research, Taylor can be found in his kitchen trying a new recipe or building out his garden.
Aurelia Snow
Aurelia (she/they) is a full-time graduate student in the University of Maine Social Work program, specializing in macro policy, community organizing, and political advocacy. Her hopes with BBMAF is to create cultural change which fosters community and solidarity - to care and be cared for is a sacred act and the most human experience of all! She splits her volunteer time between BBMAF, Multi Faith Justice Maine, and outreach opportunities from the Church of Universal Fellowship. In her spare time, Aurelia believes in the sanctity of creativity and can often be found writing poetry and composing music.
Katharine Poulin
Katharine (she/her) is a 4th year at the University of Maine majoring in History and minoring in Spanish and International Affairs. She is passionate about sharing history and hopes to pursue a career in museums. On campus, Katharine can be found mentoring students through 4H, representing UMaine students through All Maine Women, and supporting fellow honors students as a HON 170 peer facilitator and a member of HCSAB. After spending time studying abroad, she is looking forward to getting more involved with BBMAF this academic year.
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Tamra Benson
Founder
Tamra (she/her) graduated from the University of Maine in 2023 with a B.A. in Biology. She is the founder of the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund. She now works as the Community Resilience Director at the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy. She strongly believes that everyone, no matter their circumstances, deserves to have their needs met, and that community care initiatives are healing and effective methods for collective, sustainable change. Tamra loves hiking, music, and the color green!
In the News
