NEW YORK CITY — New York City has set up all kinds of programs and hotlines to help residents cope with the health, economic and social issues surfacing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, many New Yorkers are adding to those efforts by harnessing the power of the internet to lend their neighbors a helping hand.
These initiatives, which go by the name "mutual aid networks," include everything from free grocery deliveries to a friendly phone conversation to stave off loneliness.
Organized at the neighborhood or borough level, mutual aid networks use everything from spreadsheets to Slack channels to solicit volunteers and keep track of available resources and anyone who needs help. Many of the networks translate information into multiple languages.
The sheer number of mutual aid networks popping up across the city can make it hard to find the community resources that make the most sense for you, whether you're looking for help or a way to volunteer. (Don't forget — the city lists its own resources on this web page.)
Patch compiled a directory of the grassroots groups that are helping fill in the gaps to make sure their neighbors are safe, healthy and well-fed for the duration of the crisis.
CITYWIDE
Abolition Action Grocery Fund: Grocery deliveries [Click here to request help]
Action PAC C-19 Help Squad: Financial help and local assistance [Click here to request help]
Corona Couriers: Grocery deliveries in every borough but Staten Island. [Call or text (929) 320-0660 or email coronacourier@protonmail.com for help]
COVID Bailout NYC: Fundraiser to pay bail for New York City detainees.
Senator Hoylman COVID-19 Volunteer Network: Assistance in Hell's Kitchen, Midtown Manhattan, West Village, East Village [Click here to volunteer]
Senator Jackson District 31 Mutual Aid: Assistance in Marble Hill, Inwood, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, West Harlem, Morningside Heights, Upper West Side, Hell's Kitchen/Clinton, and Chelsea [Click here to volunteer or request help]
Wise Towers Mutual Aid: Support for NYCHA residents in Wise Towers, Ingersoll, Whitman and Farragut [Click here to request help or volunteer]
St. John's in the Village: Groceries paid for by St. John's and delivered to seniors and other vulnerable people [Call 929-292-9235 between 3 and 5 p.m. on weekdays to request help]
Astoria Mutual Aid Network: Buying groceries, picking up medical prescriptions, arranging transportation to doctor's appointments, dog walking, local errands, accessing verified health information, friendly conversation. [Contact astoriamutualaid@gmail.com or (646) 397-8383]
Forest Hills 112th Precinct Community Council: Food deliveries for elderly residents who live by themselves. [Contact the community council on Facebook, or call NYPD's 112th Precinct Community Affairs at (718) 520-9321]
LIC Relief: Food collection and deliveries, weekly grab-and-go meal distribution at participating restaurants in Long Island City. [Email kelly@psis78pta.org to request help]
Sunnyside/Woodside Mutual Aid: Medical supplies, groceries, small-scale financial support, child or pet care, companionship for vulnerable populations and quarantined health care workers.