The pandemic brought unexpected life changes. People faced financial insecurity and communities began creatively filling in the gaps. Germantown’s many community-led programs shared money, food, books, and skills.
One year later, the Germantown Info Hub and local organizers will discuss how these volunteer-led organizations can sustain the “movement” and avoid burnout. ) The Info Hub will host a live Facebook discussion, Thursday, Feb.25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please join us, we want your voices.
Germantown community-led groups like Phreedom Jawn, Germantown Supply Hub, Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together (GREAT) will lead the discussion.
Rasheed Ajamu is the voice of Phreedom Jawn, an Instagram account that collects and shares information about safe activism, mutual aid, and ways people can take care of one another through sharing resources and funds. He says people must rethink mutual aid. For example, his platform does a lot of crowdfunding, but he says it is only the first step.
“Even though people can get that money, there are still things that you’re going to need to be able to sustain that,” Ajamu says, “like jobs.”
And GREAT member Marie-Monique Marthol, says their organization responded to the COVID pandemic and still remains active.
“Our fund sort of arose from that [pandemic]. But the financial conditions…., were laid bare by COVID and exacerbated by COVID. But they existed well before,” Marthol says. “So how do we continue to meet our basic survival needs?”
The discussion will also include representatives from the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance and Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA).Â
For more information about the event, visit the Info Hub’s Facebook page.
