Charity is a flawed practice, rooted in the idea that the poor have a deficit that the rich must aid. Mobilizing communities to engage in mutual aid projects will make far more change than sticking with the charity model. 

The modern charity model is based on Christian European morals that preach the notion that wealthy people are innately superior because they are not lazy so they are deserving of their status (and vice versa). This model also has entrance requirements for receiving help, like proof of sobriety, citizenship, or job training efforts. Low-income people basically have to determine their worth to earn assistance, and the determining factors are steeped in racism and sexism.

Charity programs that are privatized and run by nonprofits, as opposed to the government, are also economically destructive and unfair. The nonprofit system benefits the wealthy beyond just brandishing their reputation: it creates a tax shelter for them. In 2014, the founder of Go-Pro Nicholas Woodman hacked his taxes with charity. He pledged to give away $500 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, but the money has been untraceable since.

Even if traditional charity is well-intentioned, it can perpetuate inequality. Right now, around 260,000 philanthropic organizations hold $1.5 trillion dollars and spend it as they see fit. Wealth continues to be concentrated in the hands of a few rich people who do not have to make real sacrifices to alter the very system that produces this harmful cycle.

For real change to be made, we must shift towards mutual aid, which Spade defines as “survival work” that is “done in conjunction with social movements demanding transformative change.” A fish rots from the head down; mutual aid seeks to revolutionize systems from their origin. Our activism should transform the ongoing issues that white supremacy and capitalism has created, not reinforce them. As opposed to charity work, mutual aid projects grow solidarity and meet needs by mobilizing people rather than hoping for so-called saviors. Mutual aid organizers step in during times of need. In 2020, activist Isak Douah bought gas masks to prevent frontliners at Black Lives Matter protests from tear gas, accepting support via Venmo. In a time of acute democratic crisis, mutual aid is more important than ever to address our failing systems, expose injustice, and prevent further disasters. To make strong and lasting change, it is crucial to ditch the harmful charity model and channel our energy to mutual aid projects.” - Source

Who is receiving this mutual aid?

We are raising money on behalf of our dear friend, Sereen Alhassanat. She is a proud P/ale/stinian woman, a graduate student in Mass Communication & Media, a speaker of Arabic, English & French, and a mother of 3 children: daughter Basant 11, oldest son Khalil 9 and youngest son, Yazid 7. Currently, the four of them have shelter in Central G@za. They await the return of their father, Bakr Khalil Abu Break, who has been trapped by the IDF for several months now. He is presumed alive and able to communicate with his wife & children infrequently.

One of us will be in contact with Sereen almost every day to check on her and her family’s wellbeing, and to discuss details of our fundraising efforts. She has been forced to become an expert in social media to raise money to save her family’s lives. Every day her and her family’s lives are in danger of ending; every day they must fight off sickness due to poor “living” conditions forced upon them in Gaz@ strip under 0ccupati0n.

Because money is one of the only resources our precious family has these days in a g-eno-side, and as Sereen cannot work, we have raised our fundraising goal from 32,000 USD to 50,000 USD recently. This accounts for 20,000 USD dispersed to Sereen and already spent on rent, supplies, food & water. However, they still dream of evacuating PALESTEEN into Egypt through Rafah border. In order for this to happen, we must first raise the entire goal and second Rafah border must be re-opened. Currently, the Rafah border is closed and locked by Isra3li military/government. No other exit points exist for any families there.

Sereen is exhausted and sick, she told one of us so this morning after we did not hear from her at all yesterday. We’ve come to know that when she does not reply to us, that she and the children are running for their lives that day. Their days are often spent running from “very close” “shelling” by the occupation.

After rent, we are able to provide Sereen and the children 200 USD additional money this month. This is good for medicine and cleaning supplies, like Sereen has mentioned to me they needed desperately, but now they must prepare for winter. The family will need warm clothes and blankets. As you all know, they have lost everything through 7+ times of displacement.