#solidaritysprint

Mutual Aid Network (MAN) founder Stephanie Rearick (USA), Kate Macdonald (United Kingdom) and Anneleise Hall (New Zealand) are currently on a #SolidaritySprint road trip which started in August and continues to the end of September 2019. Connecting to work on the ground, pollinating learning as the journey progresses and catalysing deeper connections and collaborations they are being joined by regional community organizers, to grow global interest in local networks. Their “Solidarity Sprint” seeks to develop local leadership, to “level-up” existing projects, and to launch new endeavors in each of the MAN pilot sites across the US.

Follow our journey here 
See our schedule and other info here 

We need your help to ease our journey which is largely self funded. We are being very generously hosted by collaborators on our journey but do have some basic living expenses (hotels, food) and have had some unforeseen expenses on the journey - new windshield for car and other car expenses (lights, windscreen wipers, wing mirror + gas).

We are passionate about this work and are using mutual aid tools of sharing in our lives and for this journey. However, we do still need some money! We have set out on this journey because we felt the necessity to connect projects, build relationships and tell stories of hope with a vision of greater collaboration enabling us to build a system together which works for the 100%.  Our experiences on this journey have demonstrated synergies in work and vision and have (as we hope) catalysed local connections and cross-connections between different places. We have been documenting our journey on film, audio and writing and we will be compiling this into a resource to share for all. This will give us all additional opportunities to learn about work, connect to leaders and community members and amplify progress through shared learning and inspiration. 

Any support no matter how small would really help us. We would also love it if you come along and join us at events on the road or contact us if you would like us to visit you. 

Update: 9/17 - En route to Detroit to reconnect to friends we have met en route (Cooperation Jackson, Carbondale Spring, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, Madison Mutual Aid Network/TimeBank colleagues) at our host venue Alt Space Detroit  (Reg Flowers). We are looking forward to attending together Symbiosis Revolution  Congress. 

More information on Mutual Aid Networks

The concept of interlinked MANs is developed from Rearick’s 10-year experience as founder and Director of the Dane County TimeBank.  With a focus on identifying and connecting to assets that we already have in ourselves and in our communities, MANs recognize that we are stronger when we work together and they offer ways to do this more effectively, by providing a powerful new economic platform for pooling resources and connecting diverse alternatives into a system that maximizes the strengths of each.

The Solidarity Sprint team is visiting, collaborating, and collecting stories from a wide range of community initiatives that focus on building local capacity and resilience, supporting meaningful work and filling unmet community needs. We are not only taking these stories with us to share on our route, the catalysing response to our visits are helping those local projects to move forward with their work through the conversations and gatherings that have taken place. Kathy Perlow our Bethlehem, PA stop says "We have formed new relationships with amazing local projects which we didn't know about prior to this trip and already we are moving forward to continue building on these connections and opportunities for joining up our work. We are particularly excited about these new collaborations in relation to food system distributions"

The tour includes stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachussets, Michigan, Indiana, and then return to the kick-off group in Madison, WI to return lessons learned and to jumpstart the Madison-area MAN. 

Projects on the tour include co-operative enterprises, food security initiatives, co-housing, youth empowerment, racial and economic justice initiatives, health and wellness support, community-based micro-finance, timebanks, maker spaces, community gardens and other projects that strengthen community connection and empowerment.

We are documenting our trip on film and blogs and will be pulling together filmed case studies and a documentary on our return. We also have opportunities for you to join us online at different locations so you can share in the learning too. Please check into our social media for updates. 

As a thank you for contributing we would also love to tell you more on a personal call/zoom about our trip and explore how we can link projects we are connecting with to you.

Other personal thank you's we can offer include:

Minimum donation of $10
Digital copies of Stephanie Rearick or Ladyscissors catalogue

Minimum donation of $20
A 20 minute Mother Peace Card Reading  online or via email from Anneleise Hall
 
For minimum donation of $30 (10 available)
Claim a Mutual Aid Disaster Relief T-shirt – on the back of the shirt is the text “SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY.  We are not afraid of ruins. We carry a new world here, in our hearts. That world is growing in this moment.” Durruti. (sizes XS – 2XL) www.mutualaiddisasterrelief.org 

Minimum donation of $30
Whilst stock last - signed copies of Stephanie Rearick or Ladyscissors CDs for first 5 takers (please email [email redacted] 

Minimum donation of $30
One signed copy of Anneleise Hall's illustrated poem book 'Secret Lives of Sheepdogs' See retiredworkingdogs.org.nz for ore info and contact Anneleise to claim - [email redacted] 

For minimum donation of $40 (5 available)
Tyler Norman is offering a collaboratively created storytelling art poster by The Beehive Collective. See www.beehivecollective.org  Claim by emailing [email redacted] 

Minimum donation of $40-60
Design of your business card or flyer by Kate Macdonald. Contact [email redacted].uk 

Minimum donation of  $50
A consultation followed by a personal online Kundalini Yoga Session from Kate Macdonald - Kate is an experienced Kundalini Yoga teacher and can put together a personal practice for you shared on an instructional online session plus lesson plan emailed to you. 

Minimum donation of $200
An online concert with Stephanie Rearick where you can make requests from her extensive repertoire (see Stephanie's website) 

Our Itinerary 

8/22-8/23 Madison WI 
8/22 4-6 Mutual Aid in Enterprise Visioning session
8/22 8-11 Solidarity Sprint Send-off party Crucible 
8/23 2-4 HUMANs Annual Membership Meeting
8/23 6-8 Honor Sina with Solidarity - Solidarity roundtable discussion and music celebration for our late great friend Sina Davis
8/24-25 St. Louis MO  
8/25-26  Carbondale IL  Carbondale Spring 
8/27-9/1 Asheville NC - Mutual Aid Summit. 
9/2-9/5 R&R in NC
9/5 Washington DC 
9/6-9/8 Bethlehem/Philadelphia PA 
9/8-9/11 New York City - 
9/11-9/13 Greenfield MA* 
9/14-9/17 R&R in OH
9/17- 9/22 Detroit MI 
9/23 Lansing MI 
9/23- 9/24 Valparaiso IN 
9/24-9/25 Chicago 
9/26 - 9/27 Madison