Welcome to Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid-LA collective.

We are a network of care created in March of 2020 to meet our communities' immediate needs and build community among our unhoused and housing insecure neighbours across Mid-city and Palms in Los Angeles.

Beyond addressing immediate needs, we know that mutual aid work “hinges upon the recognition of our deep interconnectedness, and suggests ways of relating to one another that might begin to dissolve the transactional attitudes inculcated by capitalism”. (Sparrow, 2020).

WHAT DO WE DO AND HOW WILL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS BE USED?

We spend about ~$2,000/month on groceries, medical supplies, toiletries, tents, blankets, clothes, books and other necessary items for the unhoused, food & housing insecure community members in the Palms and Mid-city areas.
We host three power up tables across Mid-city and Palms in Los Angeles. Unhoused & housing insecure community members can access a hot meal, food, clothing and charge their devices at the power up table. We also connect folks to services and other groups doing great work at the power up tables.
We organize clinics for our unhoused neighbors. We recently hosted a stimulus check clinic and a vaccine clinic in April of 2021.
Each of our members closely works with 1 or 2 unhoused families and supports them as they navigate bureaucratic systems to access services, employment and work towards getting permanent sustainable housing.
We provide small cash assistance for our most vulnerable community members
We form coalitions with other local mutual aid networks to support our unhoused community. These include groups that are doing harm reduction, community fridges, health clinics and other services.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR US?

We are working to provide a hot meal at each of our power up tables.
We will host ongoing clinics and events for our unhoused and housing insecure community.
We want to create inclusive, language accessible materials that will help our unhoused and housing insecure community better navigate bureaucratic systems and advocate for themselves.
We need to rent a storage space for donations and bulk items we buy.
We do not want our most precarious community members to strictly be volunteers. Instead we look forward to creating a fellowship program for youth (ages 16-25) who are interested in mutual aid & solidarity work with their unhoused neighbours and a fellowship program for our unhoused community members. We have at least 2 youth and 3 unhoused community members who are expressing an interest in getting involved in our work.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS OUR SUPPORT?

We are a volunteer-based network and every contribution we receive goes to supporting our community.

Please consider supporting us with $5/month or $20/month.

We will be posting monthly updates of our work on this page.

There are so many ways to participate in solidarity work and as such we also welcome your contributions of time and talents. Please contact us at ndindi@gmail.com to get plugged into our work.

“Mutual Aid is at once a call-to-arms, a balm for all those despairing at the present and future, and a blueprint for how we might better live with one another". Dean Spade.