Interview with the Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network

It has been eleven months since the Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network set out to do amazing things in this community. We interviewed them in March of 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, without really knowing what would happen.

Nearly a year later, and the Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network is not only going strong, it has expanded, built more capacity and brought in more volunteers to practice Mutual Aid for the countless number of individuals and families that have been deeply impacted by the COVID crisis.

We were able to do another interview, with two of the volunteer organizers, Amy and Julie. The video is 47 minutes long and below are the questions that we asked them. If you want to get involved and/or contribute, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/GRAMutAid. To donated click here tinyurl.com/GGRMutualAid.

• Can you talk a bit about how the Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network got started?
• How is the work organized and what are the values that make up the work of Mutual Aid?
• As volunteer organizers, what impact has this work had on the both of you?
• Since March of 2020, you have raised over $145,000. Can you talk about how the funds get distributed and who makes the decisions?
• What makes GRAMAN different than the work of a non-profit or social service agency?
• GRAMAN often shares information from groups like Defund the GRPD or the Grand Rapids Area Tenant Union. Is challenging systems of power and oppression also part of what GRAMAN is all about?
• GRAMAN often says things like, All we need is right here in our community. Can you talk about what this means and why it is a core value of the work?