At our last All Chapter Meeting, Matt gave a great presentation about the Ezra Ishman Solidarity Fund. In case you missed it, here are the basics:
- It provides one-time grants up to $200 to TCDSA members and others in the community
- It was established in 2018 by TCDSA’s Mutual Aid and Solidarity Economy (MASE) working group
- It is meant to help meet immediate material needs of people in our community (e.g. housing, making bail, medical costs, transportation, etc)
- Anyone requesting money must live in the Twin Cities metro area.
- Requests are limited to one request per year per household
From July to November 2021, the Solidarity Fund was able to distribute $17,800 to 89 people. In November we decided to temporarily stop accepting applications because of low funds.
Since the All Chapter Meeting on November 16, the Ezra Ishman Solidarity Fund has received $6,120 in donations. This brings our bank account to a total of $10,097. We were floored when we saw this! Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Thanks in part to these donations, the working group plans to open up the fund again in early January. Keep an eye on the website and TCDSA’s twitter for an update when the fund reopens.
We also want to encourage those who are able to consider setting up a recurring donation. This will help keep the Ezra Ishman Solidarity Fund sustainable in the long term. We’ve learned that small donations from TCDSA members really add up quickly, and any amount you can give will make an outsized difference when pooled together. You can donate via PayPal at: twincitiesdsa.org/solidarity
Last but not least, if you or anyone you know are in a difficult financial situation and could use $200, don’t hesitate to apply to the solidarity fund when we reopen. We’re here for each other!
If you have questions, ideas, or are interested in joining the working group, please reach out to us on Slack. You can find us by searching for the “#solidarityfund” Slack channel.
Tyler G.
The photo is of the late TCDSA Treasurer, Ezra Ishman, who was made the namesake of the solidarity fund in honor of their tireless work during the early pandemic and the George Floyd uprisings in the Twin Cities.