WHAT IS MUTUAL AID?
Mutual aid is the act of giving and receiving aid within a community where those who have extra resources may give to those who lack them, with the goal of building community care and resilience in the face of hardships. It is a system of community action between members of a community to meet the needs of all members. Mutual Aid is an idea based in solidarity between equals rather than aid being granted from a place of higher privilege. Mutual aid is often referred to as “solidarity, not charity” and “neighbors helping neighbors” due to its unique structure of community members coming together to help each other out rather than relying on larger institutions for assistance.
WHY DO WE NEED A MUTUAL AID FUND?
Recently, a student conducted a campus-wide survey with over 300 responses from students, faculty, and staff on campus. Out of these respondents, within the last 12 months,
-
33% had experienced food insecurity
-
11% had experienced housing insecurity
-
31% had experienced medical care insecurity
-
26% had experienced personal care item insecurity
There are many great financial resources at UMaine, and they effectively alleviated a great amount of financial insecurity on campus, but unfortunately, the members of our community are still facing severe economic hardships. Based on these findings, it is imperative to create another resource for those who may have been left behind, not to replace the current resources that exist, but to supplement them.
HOW CAN YOU HELP THE ORGANIZATION?
One of the greatest things about the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund is that everyone has a part to play and something they can contribute to make the University of Maine a better place! If you want to help out, you can donate, volunteer with us, and help us spread the word! See the GET INVOLVED page for more details. The best ways to get involved as a volunteer are to attend our meetings or reach out to us at blackbearmutualaid@gmail.com!
WHO CAN DONATE?
Anyone can donate to the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund! If you want to help the University of Maine community, this is a great way to make an immediate and lasting impact. We have opportunities for one-time donations and regular donations. Your donations will go directly to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maine who are facing financial hardships and emergencies. If you're interested, visit our DONATE page!
WHO CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING?
Students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maine are eligible to request funding through the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund. As of now, only students, faculty, and staff are eligible, but we have linked several other resources on our REQUEST FUNDING page.
WHAT CAN THE FUNDS BE USED FOR?
The funding distributed by the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund to members of the University of Maine community can be used for anything. We will not monitor or regulate what funding is spent on. We trust that you will use the funding however you need, and that you are capable of making your own financial decisions. If you need assistance with using our funding effectively, we recommend you reach out to the Financial Aid Office or utilize other financial advice programs provided by the University of Maine.