MAMAS - Get Involved with Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville

Mutual aid Medford & Somerville

MAMAS NEXT STEPS

Last updated: 1.4.25

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Update frequency: This page is typically updated once a week. If a meeting time is outdated, it'll usually be fixed by Monday morning. :)

Want to get involved with MAMAS, but don't know where to start?
Read on, to find out about our working groups!

What is MAMAS? Check out MAMAS vision + agreements
Specific questions? Email us at askyourmamas@gmail.com
Connect with us elsewhere on the web: MAMAS linktree.

Translations • Traducción • Tradução • Tradiksyon

Please email or text us if your browser is not able to translate this page! We want MAMAS to be accessible to everyone.
¡Por favor, envíenos un correo electrónico o un mensaje de texto si su navegador no puede traducir esta página! Queremos que MAMAS sea accesible para todos.
Por favor, envie-nos um e-mail ou mensagem de texto se o seu navegador não conseguir traduzir esta página! Queremos que o MAMAS seja acessível a todos.
Tanpri voye yon imèl oswa voye tèks ban nou si navigatè w la pa kapab tradui paj sa a! Nou vle MAMAS aksesib pou tout moun.

askyourmamas@gmail.com || 339.545.1315

working groups:

What is a working group? Working Groups are small teams within MAMAS that meet regularly to work on projects, like the free store, grocery delivery, and more! Scroll down for a list of working groups, their next meeting/event, and how to get involved.

Not sure where to start? Try joining us on Slack to see if any of working group channels have tasks you could help with! Slack is the messaging website we use to communicate and coordinate projects. Channels for each working group are listed in each section below.

If you're most interested in rapid response and supporting neighbors affected by ICE, information about rapid response networks and ICE watch can be found in this section.

Getting started with MAMAS on Slack:

Join our slack here
Go to the #read-this-first channel for how to use MAMAS slack
Say hi and introduce yourself in #welcome-and-intros
Join channels like #calls-to-action, #rapid-response, #questions-and-feedback, #general, plus any working group channels you're interested in. (Relevant channels are bolded below).

Didn't find what you're looking for? If there's not an existing working group for something you're specifically interested in, check out the MAMAS vision + agreements. If it sounds like we'd be a good match, you can propose a new group!

Hotline

#wg-hotline + #rapid-response

We really need more hotliners! If you’d like to connect neighbors with the resources they need, consider becoming a hotliner! Fill out this interest form, and we'll connect with you.
Help us manage the Hotline Call spreadsheet or answer messages.
Update the resource hub, or become a hotline admin.

Resources:

Free Store

#free-store

Drop-off clothes at Connexion on the first Saturdays of the month (see below for next date)!
Volunteer on drop-off dates to help go through and sort clothes.
Donate winter clothes and other useful items (warm clothes, sleeping bags, hand warmers, suitcases, full list here) to be distributed at Food Not Bombs Somerville Food Serves! You can do this at a Free Store Drop-off, Food Serve, or by contacting us to coordinate a time that works (see below for drop-off location and dates)
Look out for opportunities to deliver bins of clothing donations to partner orgs in #free-store.

Free Store Events:

[In-person] Free Store Donation Drop-Off + Sorting: Bring clean, gently used clothes to Connexion on the 1st Saturday of the month, or help with receiving and sorting! The next drop off is Sat., Feb. 7th, 1-4PM.
[In-person] Food Not Bombs Somerville Food Serve: Bring clean, gently used winter clothes and other items (sleeping bags, hand warmers, suitcases, full list here) to Statue Park (Davis Square, Somerville, in front of the JP Licks) every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. The next food serve is Fri., Jan. 16th., 6-8PM.
The next Free Store will be held in April 2026.

Meetings:

[Virtual] Free Store Check-in Meeting: Mon., Jan. 5th, 7-7:45PM. Check in via email (mamasfreestore@gmail.com) or slack for more info!

Mending Skillshare

#mending-skillshare

Attend our next Mending Skillshare! Whether you have a mending skill to teach, tools or materials to share, or just want to learn something new, all are welcome! Details posted below as they're announced.

Mending Events:

Mend with MAMAS: Learn to darn, patch, and repair clothing—no experience needed. Bring your own projects to work on or mend clothing for the free store. Masking is required for skillshare events.
[In-person] Medford meetup: Sun., Jan 11th, 1:30-4:30PM at Hillside Community Church (144 North St., Medford)
[In-person] Somerville meetup: Sun., Jan. 25th, 1:30-3:30PM at Connexion (149 Broadway, Somerville)

Meetings:

[Virtual] Mending Skillshare Planning Meetings: 2nd Monday of the month. The next meting is on Mon., Jan. 12th, 7-8PM. Ask in slack for an invite!

Groceries + Delivery

#wg-delivery

Donate to MAMAS! We're looking to raise more money to clear our grocery assistance wait list. If you're able to provide recurring, monthly assistance to a neighbor, check out the link below!
Become a Grocery Pair! Support a neighbor and build community by delivering a gift card or groceries to them each month! Many grocery pairs are fully reimbursed by MAMAS, while others are sponsored by delivery person (usually $100–$300/mo). If you're interested in becoming a pair or funding a pair, let us know and we can connect you!
Participate in the next Supermarket Sweep Day! Every other month, we meet up and distribute $5,000 in grocery giftcards to households that requested support. These events let us provide food assistance to more households than we can support through the grocery pair program. More info about Sweeps is here.
Look out for opportunities to deliver giftcards + other resources to neighbors! They're posted in the slack channel (above) as they arise.

Events:

[In-person] Next Supermarket Sweep: January or February, date TBD

Grocery team meetings:

[Virtual] Coordinators Meetings: weekly on Thursday evenings. If you're not already a coordinator, check in via email/slack with questions.

Food Resources:

Gardening Collective

#wg-gardening-collective

Next steps:

Check out our webpage for info about the group, including a map of garden locations.
Fill out our interest form to indicate what you're interested in helping with (we'll send you a follow-up email and add you to our email list).

Events:

[In-person] Visit MAMAS' Somerville gardens any time! Harvest free vegetables/herbs and say hi to any gardeners. Locations include Area 52 (52 Elm Street), 15 Albion Street, and 36 Sewall Street. More gardens are on Trull Street and Conwell Ave - just look for the MAMAS signs!

Gardening Collective meetings (on Zoom):

[Virtual] Second Tuesday of every month (next one is Tues., Jan. 13th, 6:30-8PM)
Email us at mamasgardeningcollective@gmail.com or check #wg-gardening-collective for the link!

Communications

#wg-communications

#communications-requests

Next steps:

Create graphics for socials by looking for requests in #communications-requests. If you introduce yourself in #wg-communications, we can tag you when requests come in!
Review translations of posts, text, and forms in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole so our events and information are accessible to more neighbors!
Draft or edit the monthly newsletter.
Keep this page updated!
Become a coordinator to post to instagram or bluesky, and respond to DMs.

Comms Team meeting:

[Virtual] Wed., Jan. 21st, 6PM, Zoom
Email askyourmamas@gmail.com (Subject: "Comms help") or check in #wg-communications for the link!

Money

#wg-money + #money-in

Fund grocery assistance and free store events by contributing via Common Good, our fiscal sponsor! Recurring contributions are incredibly helpful, but every one-time gift helps too. For more information on setting up contributions via Common Good, please see this guide. Ask us in slack if you have any questions!

Money Team meeting:

[Virtual] Tues., Jan. 6th, 7:30 - 8:30pm on Zoom. Let us know in #wg-money if you want to join.

Tech Team

#wg-tech

Help our team build the new MAMAS website!
Review + improve our cybersecurity protocols to protect the privacy of people we work with.
Help us figure out how to handle bots that crash our website.
Attend a co-working session (details below)

Tech Team meeting:

[Virtual] Tech Team meets on Mondays biweekly for Sync and Co-working sessions. While we work on upgrading some of our systems, the meetings will be internally focused. The next meeting is Jan. 5th, 5PM!
Check in #wg-tech or email askyourmamas@gmail.com for the link!

Parents/Caregivers

#wg-parents-caregivers

Fill out our Hand-Me-Down Exchange form if you're interested in contributing to or receiving children's clothes hand-me-downs, as a way of addressing excess clothes and limited space for growing kids.
Build out our resource list for parents and caregivers.
Plan in-person meet-ups and play times so you can get to know your neighbors with kids!
Foster trust and inter-community reliance on one another for things like childcare and building a more communal way of raising children
Brainstorm other ways to connect parents and caregivers, build community, pool resources, and more!

Parents & Caregivers meeting:

Virtual meetings and in-person meetups are on hiatus until the weather is warmer.

Study Group

#study-group

The MAMAS study space is a community to learn, practice, and deepen our commitments to making change together—Check out what we've explored so far here!
Share your ideas on what you'd like to talk about next, or let us know if you're interested in facilitating here!

Study group meetings:

Register here to get on the list and stay updated on next month's study topic.
Meetings are typically held on the second Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30PM.
Next meeting: [virtual] Wed., Jan. 14th, 7-8:30PM
We'll be meeting and discussing the first chapter of "Somebody Should Do Something" by Brownstein, Madva, and Kelly, but you don't need to read it to participate! Register at the link above, or post in #study-groups on slack to get the zoom link and access to the PDF

Wellbeing

#wg-wellbeing

Next steps:

Help organize and restart the MAMAS neighbor walking group! Post in #wg-wellbeing or email askyourmamas@gmail.com if this is something you're interested in!
Build out our resource list for emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing
Coordinators needed to organize monthly meetings where we can brainstorm and practice ways that we can holistically support each other.

Events + Meetings

rapid response + ICE WATCH

Are you most interested in ICE watch and rapid response?

We recommend working with our partners, especially if you're multilingual:

LUCE:
- ICE Watch Hotline: 617-370-5023
- Get trained to volunteer with LUCE
Somerville Rapid Response Network:
- Fill out SRRN's interest form
MAMAS Rapid Response:
- Support requests that come through our network are typically posted on slack in #rapid-response or #calls-to-action, when we have permission to share a request.

What is rapid response? Rapid response can describe a range of activities, such as documenting the actions of immigration agents, contacting ICE watch hotlines, and connecting affected neighbors with legal services and other support after a detention. It can also include distribution of Know Your Rights (KYR) materials.

What is ICE watch? Similar to neighborhood watch programs, ICE Watch is a way to verify rumors about ICE crackdowns, sweeps, and arrests in our communities.

The purpose of Rapid Response + ICE Watch programs is to provide high-quality information to our neighbors, so they can make informed decisions about their safety. It is intended to uphold the legal rights of all residents. By documenting ICE activity, we are better able to hold officers accountable in cases where their tactics violate the rule of law. Sharing information is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment, as well as the Right to Record Act.

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