There are so many people who can benefit from community that it sometimes feels disorienting to know where to begin. Instead of waiting for a grand plan, you can do a small action today to make a connection with a neighbor.
This is why The Platia revolves around a concept called harm reduction, which includes reducing the damage in our communities for the most vulnerable, from making sure everyone has food to eat, to raising our children as a village. Because we are only as strong as our most vulnerable neighbors.
This month I'll be out with Dark Side Burlesque showing you how to use drug testing strips to make sure everyone in your community knows what they're putting in their body. Come learn about strips while Dark Side strips... and did I mention it's BIRD themed?
If mutual aid is a new concept to you and you're overwhelmed, here's three small free things you can do now to make your community more sustainable.
- Block and report a troll on a social platform.
Misinformation is incredible harmful to vulnerable communities, especially in the health, wellness, parenting and LGBTQ spaces, or any community where people would look for support during a confusing or difficult time. Misinformation and disinformation run unchecked on social platforms, from bots, from bad actors and also from regular people who fall for the fake info and share it, or reply and amplify it.
If you find an account spreading this type of content, do not engage with it. That simply spreads the misinformation further. Block and report the account immediately. Hide it from your thread if it's a reply, so a passerby doesn't fall for it. Getting these accounts muted and shut down is the best defense until the platforms take safety seriously.
- Take your leftovers with you – always
Even if you're not sure if you're going to eat them, ask for a to-go container. If the food is in mostly untouched shape, you can give it to someone you pass on your way home. Someone else in your family can make leftovers with it. You can use the garnish or ingredients to make another meal. Food waste is an enormous problem in Philadelphia, where 206 million pounds of food goes in the trash every year. And even though restaurants and bars are getting very savvy at what happens to pre-plate waste and packaging, there's still the issue of post-plate waste, or, the food you leave behind.
You can help by considering what that leftover could become, or taking that untouched bread basket for a nearby food pantry. If you're the last to leave, you can even ask a bakery or restaurant if they have any extra bread they wouldn't mind throwing in. In the worst case scenario, you throw it out at home a few days later – but it was going in the trash anyway.
- Switch to a handkerchief
Putting less garbage in landfills can make a community healthier with less disease transmission and better mental health. Tissues, paper towels and old clothing add to the landfills and allergy season plus spring cleaning time has arrived.
Instead of throwing out old, worn clothing you can't donat, take out the scissors and cut a small square that you can use as a handkerchief. Brother Sewing Machine has a tutorial for a pattern, but you truly don't even need that. Just cut a square and put it in your pocket. Make a few so that you have one ready when you're washing the used one.
Thank you,
Annemarie
The Platia is a non-profit tiny newsroom.
Every dollar goes toward civic trainings and mutual aid.
$5 can get coffee for an afternoon food distribution. $20 can provide FOIA training. $100 funds Narcan training.
Let's put resources back into the community together.