BMAN Solidarity Fund-Raiser
Donation protected
In June, we passed 100 days of COVID-19 in Western New York, and in response to the crisis, local organizers came together in March and formed the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network.
The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network is a social action group for peer-to-peer organizing, humanitarian assistance, and reliable information-sharing developed in response to this global pandemic.
A branch of the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network that focuses on financial solidarity is the BMAN Solidarity Relief Fund. It was created for workers who live in the Greater Buffalo area whose income has been directly affected as a result of COVID-19 to be able to request emergency financial mutual aid.
The Unemployment Insurance Extension that workers have been receiving which grants an additional $600 of benefits is set to expire on July 31st, and New York State’s Eviction Moratorium will lift on August 20th. The expiration of these two measures will set into motion an economic crisis that we have never before seen.
The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network, like many organizations across the world, has taken on the responsibility of caring for one another, and providing a framework for communities to survive, rather than forcing individuals to fend for themselves. Mutual aid is volunteer-run, transparent, democratic, and driven by the needs of community members as they dictate them.
Since March 2020, we have received over $60,000 in requests and have redistributed almost $10,000. Currently, the need is over $40,000 and we are doing everything that we are able to find funding.
100% of the money is given directly to those who have requested aid. Requestors have had their income affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and funds are used for a variety of needs including rent, food, childcare supplies, and transportations.
The community members are what make Buffalo the city what is it, and right now our community is suffering. This project is helping the community of Buffalo survive the COVID-19 crisis through solidarity, not charity. In our experience, those who have received assistance want to pay it forward. If we want Buffalo to be able to have a "new normal," we need to come together.
To see the impact we've had so far, or to donate directly to folks who have requested money, click here.
Will you #supportsolidarity?
The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network is a social action group for peer-to-peer organizing, humanitarian assistance, and reliable information-sharing developed in response to this global pandemic.
A branch of the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network that focuses on financial solidarity is the BMAN Solidarity Relief Fund. It was created for workers who live in the Greater Buffalo area whose income has been directly affected as a result of COVID-19 to be able to request emergency financial mutual aid.
The Unemployment Insurance Extension that workers have been receiving which grants an additional $600 of benefits is set to expire on July 31st, and New York State’s Eviction Moratorium will lift on August 20th. The expiration of these two measures will set into motion an economic crisis that we have never before seen.
The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network, like many organizations across the world, has taken on the responsibility of caring for one another, and providing a framework for communities to survive, rather than forcing individuals to fend for themselves. Mutual aid is volunteer-run, transparent, democratic, and driven by the needs of community members as they dictate them.
Since March 2020, we have received over $60,000 in requests and have redistributed almost $10,000. Currently, the need is over $40,000 and we are doing everything that we are able to find funding.
100% of the money is given directly to those who have requested aid. Requestors have had their income affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and funds are used for a variety of needs including rent, food, childcare supplies, and transportations.
The community members are what make Buffalo the city what is it, and right now our community is suffering. This project is helping the community of Buffalo survive the COVID-19 crisis through solidarity, not charity. In our experience, those who have received assistance want to pay it forward. If we want Buffalo to be able to have a "new normal," we need to come together.
To see the impact we've had so far, or to donate directly to folks who have requested money, click here.
Will you #supportsolidarity?
Organizer
Michael Heubusch
Organizer
Buffalo, NY
