Build a Neighborhood Pod
So we’re in a pandemic, an economic crisis, and we’re required to stay home as much as possible for the foreseeable future. One of the best ways to share support in this moment is to set up a hyper-local support network on your block. This group can be used for a whole range of things – sharing needed supplies; getting groceries for elderly or immuno-compromised residents; and sharing COVID-19 information, resources and wider mutual aid groups.
Many of us have our own support systems, families, friends and communities, who we will help and be helped by in challenging times. However, others do not. Now that we’re in a large-scale shutdown across Portland, local support networks are becoming particularly important.
Building networks of relationships in your community is good for any number of situations: supporting each other through this pandemic, an earthquake, a wildfire smoke emergency, a really bad snow day, or compassionately dealing with a massive influx of climate refugees.
Knowing your neighbors and building trusted relationships with them also means you can include them in your climate action, both now in fighting for a People’s Bailout, and in the future when we can return to the streets.
To help you set up your neighborhood pod we’ve written a step by step guide with everything you need to know. We also have a central coordination team who can answer your questions, and who will help connect neighborhood pod captains to each other so you can share experiences and ideas.
One creative idea beyond mutual aid support is that you can have a physically distanced block party! While we can’t touch or be near each other right now, on sunny evenings we can have a cocktail party or eat dinner on the sidewalk outside our house and chat with our neighbors who are doing the same outside their house!
Please forward this information on to anyone you think would be interested in setting up their own neighborhood pod!
