Our Mission

The Metro Detroit Mutual Aid is a capacity-building organization geared toward training, aiding, and supporting mutual aid organizations across Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the larger region. This means we hope to create tables for our organizations to share resources, collaborate, and help build a larger strategic plan across the region. We started as a direct aid program and moved toward capacity-building in 2020. We hope to be able to train organizational staff and community, provide no-return or low-interest microgrants, and build a larger strategic plan and theory of change across like-minded organizations to make all of our partner organizations more effective and sustainable. We also hope you will be patient with us as we try to serve our communities without emptying our own cups. Loving your community is loving yourself.

We are going into this platform relatively blind and would like any and all feedback on how we can improve usability, accessibility, and of course the resources you would like to see. Please be free to email these at feedback@detmutualaid.com with Feedback in the subject line.

Our History

With COVID-19 turning a corner in Michigan, the devastating financial and social consequences due to the lack of equitable social programs available to Detroit residents became irresistibly apparent. Metro Detroit, largely forgotten in allocated resources from the Federal Government and historically a hotbed for social change, continues to need educational and financial resources now. Due to our communities facing lifelong government violence in the form of housing insecurity, food insecurity, disproportionate “essential worker” status, etc. we created this website along with the financial mutual aid page and Google Drive in order to share socially revolutionary resources specific to the areas forgotten the most. With this, the need for mutual aid, the sharing of funds and information amongst our community outside of the context of government-funded social programs has become apparent. Our financial mutual aid format was inspired by the COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQI+ BIPOC Folks on GoFundMe. Since then, we have transitioned a temporary response to the novel coronavirus to a permanent response to the social changes and need to form community amongst Metro Detroiters and the larger communities surrounding and supporting us. We hope this platform will allow us to care for one another through aid, education, and accountability.

The Future...

• Consults, joins, and uplifts organizations that are already doing the work 

• Recognizes that mutual aid is the only sustainable future

• Notes that altruism is a tool of white neoliberalism and thus white supremacy

• Understands that complete abolition, especially our indoctrinated distrust, is the future 

• Knows that no person, regardless of ability, addiction, or housing status is disposable 

• Knows that every person is capable of harm and is invested in transformative justice

• Divests from disposability culture and invests in community and accountability 

Our Capacity-Building Programs:

Mutual Aid Workgroup

This workgroup is to exchange resources, form coalition, collaborate on events and initiatives, and build a larger strategic plan and theory of change for mutual aid organizations.

Microgrants

Our microgrants program equips organizations with the financial resources to carry out work that aligns with the values listed above. Our advisory board of community leaders who specialize in or have a deep understanding of mutual aid in Detroit (in development) will continue the decision-making process on a rolling basis. 

Organizer-In-Training Fellowship

Our Organizer-In-Training Fellowship is our first public-facing community program, a free and open fellowship program that will set fellows to be able to organize themselves, organize their communities, or otherwise build a strong public life in whatever field they choose. You can read more about the fellowship program here.

Organizational Consulting

Starting a new mutual aid organization or project can be rough and we are here to help! We are happy to offer strategic organizational consulting for mutual aid organizations or projects that may seek to identify where capacity needs to be built, build out an organizational plan, or have high staff volunteer turnover.

Workshops and Training

Continue your education and never stop learning! Our trainings and workshops are custom-tailored to fit the needs of your organization's staff. Whether you need training in direct service skills, organizing, or fundraising, we've got your back!

For press inquiries, please email us at press@detmutualaid.com

Organizing and Advocacy Staff of the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund

Director of Content and Communications: Zayn Chammas

Pronouns: They/Them, Ze/Zir

Relevant Identities: Bi-racial (White, Lebanese), Nonbinary, Lesbian, Able-bodied, Neurodivergent (ADHD, Depression) 

Notes/Relevant context: I was born in Detroit and raised in the suburbs. My mother's second-generation Czech parents came to Detroit in the 50s. My father's parents brought him from Beirut to work for GM after the Civil War started in Lebanon. My relationship to Detroit is that this is my home and the only one I've ever had. I currently go to school at WSU and live in the suburbs. 

Quote/Fun Fact: A group of two or more cats is called a clowder! :) 

Director of Outreach: Madison Townsend

Pronouns: She/her

Bio coming soon!

Director of Programs: Sam Thomas

Pronouns: He/him, They/them

Bio coming soon!

Director of Finance: LaBree Owens

Pronouns: She/her

Bio coming soon!

Director of People Experience and Culture: Amiyah Everson

Pronouns: They/them

Bio coming soon!