I’ve been debating about whether to keep this blog going or not in light of The News, but now that I’ve had a few days to process I’m leaning toward yes. There’s a reason I went with “feedists for Walz” rather than “feedists for Harris” — the two main things I knew about Tim Walz when he was selected as VP were that he had signed universal free school lunches into law in MN and was the faculty advisor for the gay-straight alliance at the high school where he worked in the 90s (while he was the football coach!). That’s the spirit I want to channel here going forward. Let’s do good things not just because the right opposes them, but because they are, fundamentally, Good Things.
I think for now I’ll probably post less original content and do more reblogging of things that can help — fundraisers, places to volunteer or donate, ways to show up in your community, etc. — but if you have suggestions or posts you would like me to feature, just send them to me or tag me and I’m happy to oblige! There’s a lot of work ahead but I want to create a space for the feedist community to engage in it together.
Here are some mutual aid groups in Minnesota that need donations and volunteers.
Food relief:
BrightSide Produce is a nonprofit fighting food insecurity by expanding access to fresh produce in the Twin Cities.
Calvary Food Bank, which is located less than one mile from where Renee Good was killed, provides food via appointment or walk-in.
Community Aid Network (CANMN) performs weekly food drives throughout the Twin Cities.
Community Driven delivers fresh groceries straight to homes. Its flagship Foodshare Program rescues surplus food from local groceries and restaurants then delivers it to local food shelves and soup kitchens.
Fey y Justicia specifically focuses on providing food to immigrants in Minnesota.
The Food Group is a nonprofit providing food to people in over 30 counties in Minnesota.
North Country Food Alliance partners with local farmers — primarily those who are BIPOC — to distribute surplus food and reduce waste.
Pow Wow Grounds provides food to Native American communities in the state.
TC Food Justice partners with grocers, co-ops, bakeries, farmers, orchards, and farmers markets in the Twin Cities to take extra or unsalable food and deliver it directly to hunger relief locations.
Second Harvest Heartland is Minnesota’s largest regional food bank, and a partner of Feeding America.
We The Gente is dedicated to providing Latino individuals and families with education, career guidance, essential resources, and supportive services. It is currently distributing food in Minneapolis, and will be providing rent and bill assistance, transportation, and long term support in the near future.
For pets:
North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center is currently offering human food, pet food, and vet care support.
Support Animals Left Behind is working to rehome animals left behind after ICE abductions. Donations should be sent via Venmo with the message "animal care."
Underdog Rescue is providing free pet food to families with pets who are afraid to leave their homes.
Rent relief:
Cempazuchitl Collective provides rent assistance to Native American communities.
Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) is providing Minneapolis communities with food, rent and transportation.
Cielo Sin Limites/Sky Without Limits is helping cover housing costs for those too afraid to leave their homes, and those whose families have been stolen by ICE, impacting their ability to work.
Colectiva Bilingüe provides support for families with children enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools who are experiencing housing instability or financial hardship.
Collective Care Fund is specifically raising funds to cover rent expenses for refugee and immigrant families whose housing stability has been threatened as a result of ICE activities.
Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association has launched a renter support fund for residents.
Rent Relief for MPS Families sends funds directly to rent, utilities, and basic needs for families in Minneapolis schools.
Rent Support for Bancroft Families helps cover housing and utility costs for families in Bancroft, South Minneapolis.
Washburn Cares is fundraising to provide rent relief and school supplies for Minneapolis Public School families.
Legal support:
ACLU of Minnesota provides legal support to those whose constitutional rights have been violated.
The Advocates for Human Rights provides free legal help to people seeking asylum, unaccompanied children, people in immigration detention, and people who have been victims of human trafficking in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Immigrant Law Center of MN is a nonprofit organization that provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota.
International Institute of Minnesota provides assistance to immigrants, including refugee resettlement, English education, workforce and leadership development, college preparation, and citizenship assistance.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm providing free legal help to people with limited resources, disabilities, and seniors 60 and older.
Southeastern Minnesota Interfaith Immigrant Legal Defense is a nonprofit that provides immigration legal services for those who live or work in Southeastern Minnesota.
They cut off usda funding from Minnesota, which includes wic and snap. Please consider donating to food banks around the area or food drives. Many immigrants are too scared to leave their homes to shop as well and a community member is doing great work.
If you'd like more options, here's a linktree of Minneapolis mutual aid organizations, compiled by independent food journalists at Beyond Beurre Blanc. BBB is wrapping up their impromptu food drive and was able to feed 500 families just this week! Source
They cut off usda funding from Minnesota, which includes wic and snap. Please consider donating to food banks around the area or food drives. Many immigrants are too scared to leave their homes to shop as well and a community member is doing great work.
I am a feeder!! That means I want to make sure everyone is fed even in a normal boring life sustaining way.
I know how it feels to go hungry due to poverty. It’s scary and demoralizing. SNAP made it possible for me to buy groceries for many years when times were hard (despite working) and now I’m fortunate enough to not need it, and I’m using that good fortune to pay it forward in whatever small way I can!
Homies Helping Homies is a grassroots Philly charity program that provides food and other essentials to those in need. It is so cruel and sad that during a time where we should be eating a lot of delicious food with our loved ones, many will not be receiving the assistance they rely on. If you are in the Philly area consider helping a homie :)
If you know of any other local food banks and programs please share, especially if you’re a feeder!
hey also just a lil PSA - the shutdown will probably affect SNAP benefits in your state. My state is not paying them out starting in November, so all of the people who rely on it will not have money for food.
It might be good to make some food boxes now, or donate to your local churches and food pantries. I anticipate they will be strapped for food due to high need. Even 20 dollars can get rice and pasta and shelf stable veggies/fruits etc.
and if you receive these benefits, please make sure you have a plan and know where there are resources to help yourself.
I know for a fact that this has been posted elsewhere on Tumblr, but I wanted to share this:
This is a document ful of resources about things you can do politically that are not voting or going to protests. As a disabled person who struggles at protests, this is incredibly valuable. It has tons of resources about mutual aid, political education, migrant justice, disability justice, and much much more.
Some Actions That Are Not Protesting or Voting A list adapted from & inspired by Frontline Medics. Here was their original list of 25 actio
World Central Kitchen is back up in Gaza!! They’re doing incredible and necessary work, so please consider donating if you can! I set up a recurring donation if that’s more your vibe.
hi fellow USAmerican feedists! did you know that the American Immigration Lawyers Association has flyers in multiple languages outlining your rights in the event that you’re approached by ICE? flyers that you could print out and hang around your workplace, school campus, local library, small business, etc.?
Information for anyone who wants to make a donation in support of Ukraine:
Hospitallers - Ukrainian volunteer medical battalion, which provides first aid and evacuates wounded Ukrainian soldiers
Ukrainian charity fund "Come Back Alive"
Ukrainian charity foundation of Serhiy Pritula
United24- the official platform for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine
These are the main platforms that most Ukrainians (myself included) regularly use to donate to support our armed forces. Ukraine needs military aid, because only through victory we can achieve peace. Russia's only goal is to destroy us. If Russia is not defeated, there will be no future for Ukraine.
These funds buy vehicles for the evacuation of the wounded, thermal imagers, body armor and everything else our defenders need to survive.
Why you should NOT donate to the Red Cross
Any help, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated. Thank you ❤️
'Cause if enough of us help, then maybe someday Zelenskyy can, in fact, afford to punch JD Vance in the face.
hi fellow USAmericans! did you know that the American Immigration Lawyers Association has flyers in multiple languages outlining your rights in the event that you’re approached by ICE? flyers that you could print out and hang around your workplace, school campus, local library, small business, etc.?
hey everybody! I've created a new resource that will allow feedists to make connections with the intent to help each other out on their projects. It's pretty bare bones at the moment, as it exists only in a google spreadsheet, but I hope that I can eventually translate it to something more searchable, like an actual directory. If you're interested in starting something for the community, whether it's in-person organizing, making zines, newsletters, writing & publishing, or conducting studies, you name it: my goal is to create an accessible directory for feedists to showcase their skills and interests so that others can get in contact and ask for help. the idea struck me when I was considering writing a book on the intersection of feedism and fat liberation, and a fellow feedist messaged me to offer their experience in publishing. It felt so much better to imagine going through that process with someone in my community who would understand the material I'd be writing about and wouldn't judge me for who I am. so, if anyone else out there is wanting to connect with other creatives and innovators within the safety of their own community, I present to you, the feedism community networking directory!
please feel free to add your info! I hope this can be a jumping off point for broader community networking, so please spread this around!
Dudes healthcare is so fake. My ADHD meds are $940 without insurance. But they gave me a website of "coupons" which straight up looks like a scam website, and I got it today for $60! Just a coupon from a random website and it was $900 cheaper. America, I am confusion!! America explain!!
as a pharmacy technician i can share with you some websites that give you those "coupons" for your meds!
goodrx is the most well known one, but if i'm trying to find the cheapest price for a patient i compare it to scriptcycle, and use whichever is offering the best price. you just type in the medication (PLEASE make sure you're getting the right drug, dosage, and quantity) and your zip code and they will spit out some offers for you
some pharmacies may have their own discount card to compare to as well!
if you are getting a name brand medication, you can also look at the manufacturer's website to see if they offer any evouchers for you to use too
I am so serious when I say that now is the time to take your activism offline. I am not spending the next four years squabbling on social media or getting woke points by reblogging posts that my followers already agree with. There are real places in your offline community where you can do good if you seek them out
Also: DEESCALATE ALL CONFLICT THAT ISN'T WITH THE ENEMY. We have so so so so much in common, are so much more aligned, with each other than we do the people we need to fight against. We're going to have disagreements. We're going to feel strongly on different sides of an issue. But now more than ever we need to find ways to address those things without alienating each other and pushing others out of our movements.
