We Built a Survival Program in the South Bronx
Over the past several months, Bronx Antiwar has built something that did not exist before.
Every Saturday, hundreds of people in the South Bronx come to Bronx Mutual Aid for free produce, hot food, clothing, toiletries, books, and political education.
This past weekend, more than 400 neighbors came through our distribution.
Four hundred.
That means more than 400 people are relying on a volunteer-run survival program because the richest country in the history of the world refuses to guarantee people the basic things they need to live.
Families are forced to choose between rent and groceries.
Schools are underfunded.
Public housing is neglected.
Parks and infrastructure are left to decay.
People are pushed into homelessness, addiction, incarceration, and military recruitment while billions are poured into war, policing, prisons, and occupation.
None of this is an accident.
These are the consequences of capitalism and imperialism.
That is why Bronx Antiwar organizes.
Every Wednesday we bring people together to study the systems shaping our lives, from imperialism and sanctions to policing, prisons, and racial capitalism.
Every Saturday we put those lessons into practice.
We do not work with politicians.
We do not rely on nonprofits.
We do not coordinate with police.
We believe ordinary people have the power to build permanent institutions capable of meeting our community's needs.
That is what Bronx Mutual Aid has become.
What began as a small distribution is now a survival program that more than 400 people rely on every week.
Our goal is not to provide temporary relief.
Our goal is to help build a permanent anti-imperialist institution in the South Bronx, one rooted in political education, collective survival, and working class self-determination.
Political education and mutual aid are not separate projects.
They are two parts of the same struggle.
One helps people understand the world.
The other helps people survive it.
Building institutions like this requires resources.
More people are showing up every week.
More people are relying on the distribution every week.
More people are participating in political education every week.
If you believe the South Bronx deserves permanent institutions that answer to the people instead of politicians, nonprofits, or police, become a monthly donor today.
A monthly contribution helps us buy food, maintain storage, purchase supplies, expand political education, and continue showing up every Saturday.
No politician is coming to save us.
Only the people can liberate themselves.
In solidarity,
Bronx Antiwar
Bronx Mutual Aid
