A mutual aid society is a community-based network that connects people in need with resources. Individuals volunteer and act cooperatively and in solidarity with each other. Mutual aid societies do not operate as businesses, as they are rooted in the foundation that communities support each other. They may be region-wide, city-wide, county-wide, or even neighborhood-wide.
Mutual aid societies provide resources to those in need in their communities due to poverty, health crises, or natural disasters. Some examples are Mutual Aid NYC, Mutual Aid Tompkins, Mutual Aid LA. Click here to find a mutual aid society near you in the United States.
[Last updated in April of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]