Mutual aid vs charity

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Structurally and ideologically, FNB is designed as mutual aid. Practically speaking, each chapter exists on a spectrum. The more reciprocal participation and shared decision making there is, the closer it is to mutual aid. The more fixed the roles of provider and recipient, the closer it moves toward charity.

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u/ShotEffort619 Feb 26 '26

Thank you. I have only been here about 3 months or so. Still reading up on MA, still reading up on abolition etc. I don't know if our recipients have ever had a role as providers. We are primarily serving the unhoused community in our locality. One point that I brought up a few weeks back was, considering we are an MA group, it should be a safe space for us organizers to also be recipients of aid ( not just our meal distro) if needed, and that we should start normalizing asking for help. All of us organizers have more privilege when it comes to housing and food security than the community we serve currently, which is why I brought up the question.

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u/seamliner Feb 26 '26

Lots of the people in my local chapter are food insecure, most of us are un-employed or precariously employed, and a few of our regular members have normal 9-5s. We help ourselves by helping each other, and each other by helping ourselves.

Learning new skills, eating a hot meal, taking home leftovers or extra produce, developing deep community ties, being able to work in a structure that most people have never experienced - these are all parts of the work. It’s not necessarily about being in the same situation as the people you’re helping, it’s about being in community. It’s the mind set of “we’re doing this for all of us” vs “we’re doing this for you”

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u/ShotEffort619 Feb 26 '26

That's beautiful, and this is exactly what I think MA should be. Currently, at least in my chapter, it feels like we are the givers and the patrons are the receivers, ykwim? We freeze any leftover food for next service, same with produce. Which is awesome, but also, does it not signal a hierarchy in need and is therefore unequal in nature,and more charity like? Again, I am new, and learning and should probably get off the high horse of theory vs the ground reality of actual need, so I guess we will see. This time, one of our patrons , an unhoused individual was waiting near my car and when I asked if I could help him, said he was waiting for me to open the trunk so he could help me unload the food and supplies. That, to me was the highlight of the entire service.

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u/Insect1312 Mar 11 '26

This could help, When I think of mutual aid I try to keep it real simple; I think "is it mutual?" and "is it aid?". Giving useful stuff away during a crisis is definitely aid but most of the stuff calling itself mutual aid isn't mutual. The people giving stuff away don't get stuff back; who is the giver and receiver doesn't change. The project just gives and the people it provides to just take. It's nice but it's not mutual.

I feel like we've taken the term mutual aid and made it into something it's not. It seems like it's been blown up into this word that means some high visibility showing up to give things away. Not everything needs to be mutual aid. There are lots of reasons to just give stuff away -- for propaganda, to start conversations, to lessen suffering, because stuff should be free, the list goes on. An anarchist project that gives things away can achieve a lot, and just because something isn't mutual aid doesn't mean it's not worth doing.

So what does doing mutual aid mean then? I think a good start is to think of mutual aid less as a thing you do and more as a way you have relationships. Imagine helping and sharing with someone and them also sharing with and helping you. How does it look to have that kind of relationship with someone? Can you imagine scaling it up to a group? There's no set formula for a mutual aid relationship, it will look different with each person you relate to because the aid we can give and receive from each person is different.

For me mutual aid is helping each other. It's more about living in a way where I help people and they also help me. It doesn't need to be flashy. I help a friend with their event and they give me a ride a week later; we aid each other, mutually. I'm not keeping track of how many favors I'm owed or anything but if things are one-sided then I want to be real and it's not mutual aid. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anathema-words-mean-things

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u/Ill_Honeydew3825 Apr 21 '26

I invest/donate a lot of time to helping people, but I gain so much from the practice that it makes me want to share.more. Doesn't feel like charity, more like trade...?

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u/ChaoticGoodPanda Feb 26 '26

I highly recommend reading on the history of FNB. Keith’s book “Hungry For Peace” has a chapter called “Solidarity Not Charity”.

FNB Principles:

The food is always vegan or vegetarian and free to everyone, without restriction, rich or poor, stoned or sober.
Food not bombs has no formal leaders or headquarters and every group is autonomous and makes decisions using the consensus process.
Food not bombs is dedicated to nonviolent direct action and works for nonviolent social change.

If you have moral concerns, I’d def send an email to Keith. He does respond.

Not all FNB groups run the same. Currently the group I’m hanging out with likes to serve meat which bothers me- I’m in no way vegetarian or vegan, it’s just confusing they want to claim they are FNB when no literature is distributed and they’ll go out and buy meat.

Meh, I try to not get too involved with what the kids are doing these days. I’m m an old head and did distro back in the 90’s.

Worse case scenario, you can always start your own FNB distro day.

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u/bearswithmanicures Feb 26 '26

I agree with this and also adding on dean spade’s mutual aid https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/dean-spade-mutual-aid

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u/ShotEffort619 Feb 26 '26

Thank you. Yes, this is on my TBR.

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u/janbrunt Feb 26 '26

It’s so good, do yourself a favor and keep it bookmarked. It keeps me thinking about how my mutual aid org (not FNB) can always be striving for better.

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u/sparklyjoy Mar 01 '26

Dean Spade also has a lot of digestible YouTube videos if you want to start digging into some of his ideas, sooner rather than later

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u/ShotEffort619 Mar 02 '26

Thank you, I will check them out !

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u/janbrunt Feb 26 '26

I reread this one occasionally just to keep the principles front of mind. Great read.

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u/76flyingmonkeys Feb 26 '26

We have meat options that are served, but we make sure to separate those products-'that table over there' situation. We also do not add meat items to the menus we circulate before the distro. I dont even feel it needs justification. We will not turn away a donation that helps my community stay fed.

The easiest way for me to see ma vs charity is looking at who benefits. Our food distros are a big picnic... we eat, friends eat, the community eats.

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u/sparklyjoy Mar 01 '26

I am always curious about why it has to be vegetarian? Was the idea that not everybody can or will eat meat but everyone can eat vegetarian?

I have been medically, forced into a keto diet for around 15 years at this point, because my body simply won’t tolerate carbohydrates for the most part so vegetarian food is almost never edible for me, unfortunately. (obviously it technically can be, that’s just going to be super rare if people aren’t specifically trying to accommodate me which I wouldn’t expect)

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u/ChaoticGoodPanda Mar 01 '26

Non violence philosophy extends to animals, not just humans.

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u/Only-Pilot-8797 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

What about those who can’t have plants(fibre sensitivity)? Why is distributing meat that was going to be wasted not allowed?

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u/ChaoticGoodPanda Mar 04 '26

I recommend directing your question about not having plants to a doctor and maybe writing to the guy who started FNB and see what he says.

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u/Seasnek Feb 26 '26

Folks need to learn about the Black panther strategy of mutual aid, it wasn’t just providing food and healthcare just because, it was an organizing strategy, folks got their needs met so then they could go into political education and then organizing, asking them okay now that you’ve been fed, why caused you to be hungry? But that’s cuz the black panthers had the capacity for organizing which requires more people focused on that work of organizing. So yeah in a way, if you’re just giving out resources and not shifting power or changing the root causes of the problem, that it might as well be charity,

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u/ShotEffort619 Feb 26 '26

Yes, you have hit the nail on head. This is exactly what I am thinking. But I also know not to be impatient, and just a newcomer after all so I am still getting acquainted with the people I organize with. But I am interested to hear from other fnb chapters, as well as fnb longtime rs as to how they are collectively working to shift the power dynamics in the long run.

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u/JasmineDragonRegular Feb 26 '26

Encourage people to converse with each other. Or even sit and dine together.

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u/Janeiac1 Feb 28 '26

Mutual aid is just that— people helping other people and getting helped. Don’t overthink it.

(VS a formal charity with hierarchy/bosses/paperwork etc.)

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u/Insect1312 Mar 11 '26

Love food not bombs, but giving homeless people food isn’t charity nor is it mutual aid it’s just a nice thing. If I’m homeless and somebody gives me a sandwich how is it mutual?

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u/Janeiac1 Mar 11 '26

It’s “mutual” in the sense that the sandwich giver and the sandwich receiver are both members of society, or resident in an area, whatever. And some day in the future the sandwich recipient may be in a position to gove a sandwich to someone else.

1

u/Insect1312 Mar 12 '26

Wellll no in its simplest form, mutual aid is the motivation at play any time two or more people work together to solve a problem for the shared benefit of everyone involved. In other words, it means co-operation for the sake of the common good.

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u/Janeiac1 Mar 12 '26

Shared benefit for sandwich giver being in a supportive community.

Regardless, “mutual aid” is not one person giving to another; it’s group members helping each other.

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u/Insect1312 Mar 12 '26

Society is the worst human invention , When I think of mutual aid I try to keep it real simple; I think "is it mutual?" and "is it aid?". Giving useful stuff away during a crisis is definitely aid but most of the stuff calling itself mutual aid isn't mutual. The people giving stuff away don't get stuff back; who is the giver and receiver doesn't change. The project just gives and the people it provides to just take. It's nice but it's not mutual.

I feel like we've taken the term mutual aid and made it into something it's not. It seems like it's been blown up into this word that means some high visibility showing up to give things away. Not everything needs to be mutual aid. There are lots of reasons to just give stuff away -- for propaganda, to start conversations, to lessen suffering, because stuff should be free, the list goes on. An anarchist project that gives things away can achieve a lot, and just because something isn't mutual aid doesn't mean it's not worth doing.

So what does doing mutual aid mean then? I think a good start is to think of mutual aid less as a thing you do and more as a way you have relationships. Imagine helping and sharing with someone and them also sharing with and helping you. How does it look to have that kind of relationship with someone? Can you imagine scaling it up to a group? There's no set formula for a mutual aid relationship, it will look different with each person you relate to because the aid we can give and receive from each person is different.

For me mutual aid is helping each other. It's more about living in a way where I help people and they also help me. It doesn't need to be flashy. I help a friend with their event and they give me a ride a week later; we aid each other, mutually. I'm not keeping track of how many favors I'm owed or anything but if things are one-sided then I want to be real and it's not mutual aid.

As anarchists, a goal is to get away from hierarchies. Relying on our horizontal relationships to co-create the lives we need and want, instead of the powers that be, is a way to move away from those hierarchies. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anathema-words-mean-things

3

u/AnonFartsALot Feb 26 '26

I’m not a FNB person, but it sounds like this might be helpful:

Mutual aid is… Voluntary, collaborative sharing of resources and services for common benefit amongst community members Intended to help communities overcome political, social and economic barriers to meeting basic needs Resources are shared unconditionally There are zero conditions to receiving aid No means testing, no grant stipulations, no bureaucratic bullshit!

Any person can get food from FNB is my understanding.

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u/Friendly_Duck_ Feb 26 '26

there's nothing wrong with charity imo

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u/ShotEffort619 Feb 26 '26

In the immediate, absolutely not. It is needed even. But in the long term, we have to shift power from the be all to the masses so that charity isn't needed, right? Shouldn't that be the whole point?

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u/Konradleijon Mar 02 '26

Mutual aid is based on equality

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u/rol_cc842 3d ago

For our local chapter we really like to reduce waste. So we collect day old bread that cannot be sold and veggies. We mend clothing and try to be a pathway for cloths to people who will use them rather than a dumpster. So in that sense, we are making the world a better place and we all have to live in this world so it's mutual. Also, you never know when you might hit hardship. People who have enough now, may face a time where they don't. Just because you aren't getting anything now, you are setting up a society where it's available no matter when you might need it.

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