Mutual aid is an organizational model where voluntary, collaborative
exchanges of resources and services for common benefit take place amongst
community members to overcome social, economic, and political barriers to
meeting common needs. This can include physical resources like food, clothing,
or medicine, as well as services like breakfast programs or education. These
groups are often built for the daily needs of their communities, but mutual
aid groups are also found throughout relief efforts, such as in natural
disasters or pandemics like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resources are shared unconditionally, contrasting this model from charity
where conditions for gaining access to help are often set, such as means
testing or grant stipulations.