PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network Fundraiser

In a time of crisis, we can respond to the needs of our community with collective power and mutual aid. Please make a donation today to support the efforts of PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network.

PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network is an all-volunteer grassroots group operating in the territories of the many tribes who have made their homes near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, including Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, and Molalla.

The funds raised here will be used to respond to requests for support from the community, received via the request form  that went live on March 13, 2020. This will include buying food and supplies for those in need, as well as reimbursing volunteers for transportation and other related costs. We will adjust the goal as necessary according to the need and duration of this effort. 

We are prioritizing those who are sick, unhoused, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, trans and queer, Black, Indigenous, People of Color,  including immigrants, refugees, and those who have been displaced from Portland to nearby areas. 

Maya Edelstein, Molly Case, Chloe Faison, and Sophie Lord, all of whom are members of the greater PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network administration team, make up our four-person financial management and accountability team. They will be responsible for tracking and issuing reimbursements, as well as purchasing supplies with funds raised. 

Please take a look at our volunteer and request for support forms to get a better idea of the type of support we are arranging for the community: 

OFFER support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAMZHbn6md19Tb28SM53ayFAQK02xJv1NXVjL-J26tDZOQ-g/viewform 

REQUEST support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWmeBGnqdX14Q5ihC66u-bYzJ1oaJcigu_Vx44AJPRSoDMtQ/viewform 

We would like to thank the following groups and organizations for their collaboration and support for our efforts thus far. If we raise more funds than we require to fill all the requests for support, we will distribute any remaining funds equally among them. 

Glitter Squadron 
Montavilla Emergency Warming Shelter 
Oregon Food Bank 
Portland Assembly 
Portland Fruit Tree Project 
Portland Street Medicine 
Rosehip Medic Collective 
St Johns Food Share 
Street Roots 

Thank you for your help in supporting those who are disproportionately affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the greater PDX area.
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Additional Details: 

The Portland COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network is being coordinated by a team of community members who know each other through existing personal and organizing relationships as well as through connections made on the public COVID-19 Portland Area Community Support Facebook Group. Individuals on the admin team are personally involved with Oregon Food Bank, JOIN, Q Center, Portland Assembly, Montavilla Emergency Warming Shelter, St. Johns Food Share, Portland Collective Housing, Rosehip Medics, Anticolonial Jews, Black & Pink, PDX Childcare Collective, and others. We are neighbors and community members of the individuals we are raising funds for, who can request support with supplies via a Google form that is actively managed by the PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network admin team.

The PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network centers the experiences of those who are typically targeted and marginalized under capitalism. Peple who are sick, unhoused, quarantined without pay, sex workers, elderly, undocumented, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, refugees and immigrants, trans and/or queer, including those displaced from Portland to nearly areas. This network exists for people who are in need during this time. 

We will be withdrawing funds and delivering them to community members on a rolling basis as volunteers are dispatched to those identifying a need for financial support with the supplies they have requested. Our Volunteer Coordination Team will triage the incoming requests and submit them to the Finance Team for approval, payment, and documentation. 

Due to the many potential beneficiaries of this campaign, we will be personally delivering the funds to beneficiaries via electronic transfer. We have a four-person work team to manage and audit the process of fulfilling requests and making payments.

The following non-exhaustive list provides some examples of how funds will be spent:
-Purchasing of food and/or supplies for people in need
-Reimbursing travel expenses and food/supply expenses for volunteers dispatched to fill a support request
-Providing financial assistance for people unable to pay their bills 

Team information: 

Sophie Lord has lived in Portland for 17 years and is an active community member. She serves as a volunteer organizer for Montavilla Emergency Warming Shelter (MEWS). Her official role is as MEWS’ treasurer, but as a Qualified Mental Health Professional, she also serves as the behavioral health consultant for the organization. Sophie will be responsible for withdrawing the funds to a bank account that she holds (with authorized access given to other members of the Finance Team) and processing the approved payment requests received from the combined efforts of the Volunteer Coordination Team and the Finance Team. 

Maya Edelstein will be reviewing and triaging requests from community members. She lives in East Portland and organizes with SURJ PDX. In her professional capacity, she works in fundraising and communications. 

Molly Case will provide support for triaging, reviewing, approving, and auditing requests for community support that are referred to the Finance Team, as well as supporting maintenance of the fundraising page. She recently returned to Portland after a six-year absence, and is excited to leverage her professional experience in fundraising to support her chosen community. 

Chloe Faison has worked at JOIN for 8 years and works as the Data Coordinator.   She will help facilitate the auditing and accountability process for reimbursements and payments made to volunteers and partner agencies.