Our Mission »
Mutual aid reflects the belief that we can transform our social relationships through solidarity and a commitment to addressing the unmet material needs of those in our communities and neighborhoods.
Syracuse DSA’s Mutual Aid Committee strives to accomplish this through networks of cooperation that disconnect the provision of these basic needs from the cold and dehumanizing will of the market. Our work grounds the individual’s struggle within the collective challenges facing Syracuse and its surrounding areas — things like housing & food insecurity, access to affordable education and healthcare, and the inadequate (and sometimes counterproductive) state response when dealing with these issues.
We recognize the need to confront specific forms of oppression faced by marginalized members of our community — poor, sick, elderly, disabled, undocumented, LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. By building bottom-up alternatives that are responsive to our community, we can forge sustainable structures for class struggle and community cooperation that ground our political goals in real world practice, establishing dignity and respect for all, creating the foundations of the world we hope to win one care package and relationship at a time.
Mutual aid is solidarity in action — a democratic vision of a new world run by and for working people!
Our committee meets biweekly on Mondays at 7:30pm. To join our meetings or subscribe to our action items, please email us at: mutualaid@syracusedsa.org
We are centrally located in Syracuse but work with folks all over Onondaga County!
Our Projects »
We seek to build a truly humane, people-powered society — instead of one controlled and operated solely for the benefit of those with enough money to “matter.” And creating that thriving, vibrant future for each other and our communities requires organizing work!
In line with this thinking, the Mutual Aid Committee continues to dedicate efforts towards the following projects and campaigns:
Sonny’s Free Store
Over the past year, we’ve hosted several Free Stores throughout the city, most recently holding our first at ArtRage Gallery on the city’s Northside.
Free stores are exactly what they sound like. Set up like a thrift store, donations come in from the local community, awaiting those in need to come and take them free of charge. We also offer fresh produce from time to time!
We aim to host several more free stores, both as independent pop-up shops and at local events throughout the city, such as CNY Pride.
Care, Not Cops
Part of our work for 2024 will involve expanding our Care, Not Cops initiative to include community outreach in the form of teach-ins and other public events.
We intend to use these spaces to shed light on ongoing issues of police brutality, as well as inform members of the community about what they can do to avoid unnecessary — and potentially lethal — interactions with law enforcement.
- 911 Alternatives Flyer and Online Resource (updates every 6 months)
- This resource offers alternatives to calling the police for various social issues that can be solved without armed law enforcement. This work is dedicated to re-imagining public safety, combating and ultimately dismantling carceral interventions for social problems and replacing them with community resources & responses that can meaningfully address the root causes of crime.
Mutual Aid Bags
We’ve done a few pilot tests on our newest project, Mutual Aid Bags. We have made some General Aid bags, which include hygiene products, first aid, snacks, and water.
Additionally, with the help of generous donations from folks at the Regional Farmer’s Market and Salt City Farms, we created some Thanksgiving Dinner bags, which included everything you need to go alongside your turkey!
Although we couldn’t obtain turkeys for our Thanksgiving Bags, with a little work and a little luck, we hope to be able to provide these for those in need for the 2024 holiday season!
HUGE shout out to OFRN at SOFSA for partnering with us to make produce available for both our Mutual Aid Bags and our free stores!
