Support Mutual Aid in the New River Valley

Since March, the Future Economy Collective has provided free meals and supplies to over 950 individuals across the New River Valley. We are a small team that serves anywhere from 10-20 families weekly. Our work is rooted in mutual aid; that we engage in Solidarity, Not Charity, and that we not ask our recipients to jump through bureaucratic hoops or means-tests to qualify for aid. We in the Future Economy Collective believe all people are deserving of support. Many of our recipients are those who have barriers to receiving aid from government assistance programs and other non-profits, who are experiencing exacerbated financial hardship due to COVID-19, who are undocumented, queer BIPOC, have have been previously incarcerated or are facing incarceration, with children and babies, and so on. For many, we are the only group they can reach out to for support in accessing food and essential supplies.

Mutual aid runs through community support and volunteers -- all donations of food, money, and essential supplies are re-routed back into those who are most in need in the New River Valley. We have been featured in the Roanoke Times  for our work and hope to expand our team and the number of people we are able to serve weekly in the face of a global pandemic and financial crisis.