Mutual aid is an important concept for anarchists. Basically, mutual aid is when one person voluntarily helps another person by providing them with needed goods or services -- and then the person who was aided returns the favor. Here is a link to an anarchist collective called Rock Dove Collective [LINK]. Read about them and what they're about.
Here are two questions to consider. Have you ever voluntarily helped another person by providing them with goods or services they needed? Have you ever accepted the voluntary help of someone?
Tell us about your experiences.
Every year at my church we have an event called Luv 4 A Child, and hundreds of adults and kids come for help. We give them free food, hair cuts, dental care, music, games, doctor care, backpacks full of supplies for school, tennis shoes, and so much more! I volunteer every to paint moms and daughters' nails. It was such a great experience! I usually don't try to accept voluntary work from other people, although sometimes they will make me accept it. Yet it is such a great feeling to not only help someone, but see them want to help me in return.
ReplyDeleteI have actually had many experiences when other people have helped me out and I repaid the favor. Sure, when people think of mutual aid, they thing of countries giving other countries help and vise versa, but in my case it is much smaller than that. The most recent form of mutual aid was when I went to sheetz and paid for my friend because he didnt have money at the time and then the next time we went to sheetz he paid me back by buying me something. Mutual aid happens everyday and even my first day on campus, people I didnt even know helped me move my stuff in while i helped out also. It feels nice helping people, i guess you could say it makes you feel better about yourself.
DeleteThe answer is yes to both questions. Actually, just today when arriving on campus, a fellow student couldn't get out of their parking spot. I got out of my car and offered to help. As another volunteer got in his car to give it gas, myself, the owner and two others pushed from behind until the car was safely out. During my freshman year, I had to have surgery on my left foot which required me to use crutches for quite some time. My peers would help me all throughout the school day in numerous ways.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school I was president of this organization (club) we had called Operation Smile, which is a charity that raises money to provide free surgeries to repair cleft palate/lip and other facial deformities for children around the world. We would voluntarily put in our time, efforts and money into helping kids that we didnt even know. We thrived into doing the best we could to raise money to help kids have a brand new smile.
ReplyDeleteOne weekend my roommate Brittney and I went to virginia tech to visit some friends. On our way back to shepherd we were driving and just talking when all of a sudden we see this car behind us speed up really fast towards us as if she didnt even see us driving in front of her (she was asleep). The road had two lanes and on each side of those lanes were muddy ditches. The lady ended up driving on the ditch when she woke up and realized what she was doing swerved her car and ended up driving the opposite direction of traffic and driving towards us head on. My friend brittney quickly swerved her car and we ended up landing in the ditch on the far right. When this happened the people driving in front of us and behind us quickly came out of their cars and helped us out and made sure we were okay which we were, no one got hurt. People offered to call 911. No one asked them to stop driving and get out of their cars to help us and the lady that fell asleep. They voluntarily did that out of the kindness in their hearts.
Recently, my friend and I walked to her car. We were going to go to Walmart for school supplies, but her car had different ideas. We knew when the doors wouldn't unlock that the battery was dead. She had jumper cables, but no one to jump her car. She opened the hood of the car while I waited for someone to drive by so I could ask for their help. I asked the first person I saw if she would help jump her car. She was more than willing to help; she had to park her vehicle on a hill in order to help jump my friend's car. She could have easily said no because of how cold and dark it was, but instead she decided to help us. It was greatly appreciated and I know if the tables were turned, I would help her!
ReplyDeleteBeing involved in girl scouts, my church, and other organizations, I've just been raised to help people without thinking otherwise. Our youth at church makes up "Break Baskets" for kids in our community filled with stuff to do over their holiday breaks. When we deliver those baskets, and see their faces of joy and appreciation, it's a good feeling. Recently, moving into the dorms, you have those people who voluntarily help you carry your stuff up to your room. Imagine how miserable that would be doing that by yourself? And I don't know any of them personally, but if I saw they ever needed help, I would be sure to be there. Kindness is key.
ReplyDeleteCassidy Rao
PSCI 100:05 10:10-11
On spring break I take a friend to Charleston to see her family. Then at the end of the week we go back to Shepherd. When we get back she buys me dinner. I volunteered to take her and then she paid me back, I didn't ask to be paid back.
ReplyDeleteSean Yarborough
Psci 100
9:10 until 10
One time at work I noticed a guy struggling to lift a small chest freezer into the back of his truck. I went over and helped him lift it into the back of his truck.
ReplyDeleteShawn Dunford
PSCI 100:05
During my high school years I was in Key Club. Since they're known for their good deeds and services, I was involved in a few of them, such as helping out at soup kitchens by providing food for the homeless. I also passed out valentines Day cards at the veterans home in Martinsburg.
ReplyDeleteI had 2 surgeries the last 2 summers and while I was resting and healing I had many friends and my family voluntarily helping me out with certain things.
The other day while walking to class, I noticed a guy on crutches about to enter the building. I worried that I would seem rude at first, as I bounded in front of him, but he soon saw that I was simply opening the door for him.
ReplyDeleteMike Morris
PSCI 100
MWF 10:10-11:00
The answer to both of these questions for me is yes. I helped at a soup kitchen one year at school. I helped feed the homeless and then we would give them items they needed before they left. It was surprisingly fun! the people were also very nice for taking collections to help the homeless. I have also helped with many other things since I was a key club member and I help out at my church.
ReplyDeleteThen as for me getting help was just like last week. last week my car broke down so i had to drive my brothers truck. (Well before I make a fool out of myself my car is very tiny and my brothers truck is giant compared to my car.) So anyways I had to get help parking my brothers truck. I tried myself and failed. Luckily a girl offered to help and I did not refuse. She parked the truck perfectly.
I answer yes to both of those questions. I work at JCP, so it is basically an everyday occurrence to give voluntary aid. I help costumers search for clothing items, hold their bags, pick up after them, and hold doors for them. A time I accepted mutual aid was when I dropped a stack of papers on the floor and a guy stopped to help pick them up. Usually people would just walk over you and leave but he stopped and I accepted his help.
ReplyDeletemaddy manfull
PSCI 100
mwf 9:10-10
Yes to both. It's practically impossible to go through life without either helping voluntarily or being voluntarily helped.
ReplyDeleteA simple example that's happened to me is jump starts. I've both given them and received them. I've also helped people move, and in return, they voluntarily got pizza and beer.
My bad:
DeleteTim Graham
PSCI 100.04
People help eachother everyday. An example that I have is my roommate, she voluntarily helped me create my schedule for this semester because she knows that I stress out really easily about stuff like that. We read each others papers and help each other to make our work sound better. Another simple example that I thought of is when people hold the door for eachother, it is almost a thoughtless process, but is still a form of mutually helping one another.
ReplyDeletePSCI 100
ReplyDeleteMWF 10:10-11:00
I have voluntarily helped others before. One example that really stands out to me is when my friend and I witnessed a deadly car accident right in front of us on our way to the mall. I am certified in First Aid/CPR so I was nervous I was going to have to step up to the plate and use my skills I learned. Luckily I didn't, however I called 911 and helped stop traffic to make sure everyone was ok. There was another vehicle that no one noticed that was involved in the accident so I went and helped the gentleman in the car. It was probably the scariest thing I have ever witnessed firsthand. What I also noticed with going through that experience was that many other people just drove by and did not care to see if everyone was ok. I am glad that I pulled over to give my assistance, but it still amazes me how others do not seem to care to help others.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to someone voluntarily helping me, I will never forget it when I went skiing over winter break and I was having a bad day on the slopes. I went on one of the harder slopes with some friends, I picked up speed, lost control by clipping some ice on my ski, went airborne, and finally landed flat on my back with both skis flying off and I hit my head pretty hard. A snow boarder came to help me up and get me back on my skis. Probably one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but at least someone came to help me up because it could have been a lot worse.
Tess Hyre
PSCI 100
9:10-10:00
Through out the years of high school, I volunteered hundreds of hours at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Martinsburg in the pharmacy and doctor's offices. I volunteered because I loved that I made a small difference for veterans and employees. I wasn't expecting anything in return for my service, but I was awarded a 20,000$ scholarship for my work. They allowed me to pay for my education, which is something I am eternally grateful for.
ReplyDeleteChristiana Hess
PSCI 100:04
9:10-10:00
For me finding an example of mutual aid is a bit harder than what I've seen written here. Is following the accepted notion of being nice considered mutually aiding another person? If so, then everyone has or has been mutually aided by another person as defined by anarchists. But to me the definition goes a little deeper than that, in which the aid provided is not so simple and available like holding the door open for someone. I think the better examples would be the car jumper cable scenario described earlier in the comments, or the example provided of the medical aid anarchist group. In that context I cannot remember a personal anecdote of this practice in my own life. And I do not believe giving aid as part of a job really counts, since you are, as defined by anarchists, being conversed to help people by your employers.
ReplyDeletePSCI 100, 9:10-10am
Emily Cooper
The answer to both of these questions is yes. Mutual aid is essential when one person is willingly doing everything they can possible to help that other person in need. An huge example in my life is my recruiter. He would always go out of his way to make sure I had all of the answers and right path to choose when I decided to become a United States Marine. On daily workouts, he would always find solutions for me to become better at doing pull ups, because they weren't my strongest. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing where I am today because he constantly guided me through all the hardships that led to boot camp. I feel as if mutual aid for an anarchist is much more complex than voluntarily helping someone with their homework. An example where I practice mutual aid is helping my dad with everyday jobs around the house. I just do them because I want to help people. He never has to tell me to do something, I just do it without being reminded or told by someone. Therefore, mutual aid has a lot more meaning to it then helping someone with a simple task. It's much bigger than that.
ReplyDeleteI answer yes to both! But just to point out, I believe there is a difference between doing something for someone voluntarily and not expecting anything in return, rather than doing something just flat out willingly. An example I have for doing something and getting something in return, is when my sister and I trade dish nights. My dish night is on wednesday, but if I have something going on, she does it, and I do hers on thursday for her! I think no matter what, mutual aid is needed and natural in daily life, because without it, people would be on there own all the time and wouldn't get help if they needed it.
ReplyDeletePSCI 100, 9:10-10am
Carrie Maggio
i answer yes to both questions. for example when my teammates are struggling with their math homework i voluntarily offer to help and tutor some of them and i do that expecting nothing in return but if i need to print a paper or something they will offer me theirs
ReplyDeletePSCI 100
9:10-10am
Tre Anderson
Yes to both: I have and still do voluntarily tutor people my my field of study (programming). In the flip side...many years ago a 'stranger' (online friend I had never actually met) send me a bit of money to help me out at the time.
ReplyDeleteoh, btw, PSCI 100, 10:10-11
DeleteI give and receive mutual aid on a fairly regular basis, especially with my room mates and family. It's fairly common practice to just exchange favors with one another, However, there are certain types of aid that would be much harder to give to one another in an organized fashion within an anarchical state, such as emergency services.
ReplyDeleteI have helped people by teaching, listening, running tech support and being generally kind.
ReplyDeleteI don't usual accept help when its offered idk why it just feels awkward.
Kenneth Blosser
PSCI 100.4
I'd say it most likely feels awkward because either they are trying to "gain favor" with you (influence peddling) or you feel like they're not genuinely trying to assist you freely (they expect something in return). I often feel the same way but I live in an environment with a lot of con-artists who're trying to gain influence over me in some form or another. Many people today think that real friends should give them something, but expect to not return the item or favor (in other words, they're effectively thieves) and try to gain your "confidence" by claiming to be your friend. This is where the term "con-artist" comes from because they attempt to gain your "confidence" so that they steal from you.
DeleteWhen I go to the store or fast food restaurant I don't knock people out of my way to get through the line. I also go to class and remain silent with the need of the professor to get me to keep quiet.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Blosser
PSCI 100.4
On a very simplistic level, I have voluntarily helped people on many different occasions. An example that comes to mind quickly is a couple years ago when I noticed that the multiple flower beds at my mom's house had become overgrown and that the ivy in one of the beds was beginning to climb the side of the house. One morning in the summer, I just put on some gloves and went outside to tackle the flower beds. I cleared the weeds and trimmed the ivy. My mom was pleasantly surprised and there was no need for any kind of reward or return favor. It needed to be done, no one asked me, and I just did it. A time when I accepted the voluntary help of another was when my mom, brother, and I were involved in a car accident during which the car flipped on its side. It would have been difficult to get out of the car by ourselves. Luckily, a car that had seen what had happened stopped. A man helped each of us out of the car while the other two people he was with called for an ambulance. We didn't even know these people and we never saw them again. It was actually pretty incredible. As far as what the Rock Dove Collective organization does, it is really great. I have never experienced mutual aid in the form of healthcare.
ReplyDeleteI am in the military and have participated in many disaster relief missions as well as overseas combat missions. I also have been subjected to recieving aid from people of other nations on these missions as well, which shows that Anarchism is a widespread ideal.
ReplyDeleteI help people and receive help from others all the time. It doesn't have to be anything huge or substantial but the little things go along way. There are times where I need help doing a type of work and a friend voluntarily helps me. In return I'll do something nice for them to return the favor since they took the time to assist me. Most people do that kind of thing every single day and don't really pay much attention to it. I remember one time I helped my friend deliver a couple things and in return he bought me dinner. Mutual aid is a great thing no matter how big or small the task.
ReplyDeleteMutual aid is a very important thing to have within a community. My father and I express mutual aid towards our neighbors when we get snow. Our neighbors are an older couple, so it just seems right for someone to help them out in times like this. When we get a lot of snow my father and I proceed to go over and plow their driveway, so that they don’t have to worry about taking a chance on potentially slipping and hurting themselves. After we are finished plowing, they always give us something in return.
ReplyDeleteChris Grove
10:10-11:00
I feel I both receive and give mutual aid on a normal basis. I provide voluntary help or mutual aid to my next door neighbors. Both of my neighbors are getting older in age, and they still live on their own. Their age does not allow them the ability to do yard work. I volunteer in the summer to mow their grass for them. I also water their plants and make sure they have every thing they need for the day. I have also received help from someone for when my car wouldn't start. This nice man helped to jump start my car and I am very grateful for the help this man provided. Providing mutual aid or helping someone is truly a great showing of the type of person that you can be.
ReplyDeleteGrant Davis
10:10-11
PSCI: 100:05
For me receiving and giving mutual aid is a norm. Having a roommate,we both voluntarily help each other out. When one doesn't have food, soap, or anything else we may need, we always offer to help one another out at any cost.
ReplyDeleteMutual aid plays a role in everyone's life. My high school football team was closer than most, we had our differences but we helped each other with everything. That ranged from providing a teammate a place to live all the way down to giving each other money to go to the movies.
ReplyDeleteWell, one night while driving home I observed out in a field, on the inside bank of the curve, an upside down car with stuff thrown everywhere. It was barely visible from the road and no car lights were striking it (in any form) to bring any attention to it. None of the other cars that I happened to be with even stopped (I'd say noticed it, but how can you be sure?). Well, I stopped because I could see the potential urgency of the situation (I often don't because others have already arrived on these scenes and I'm not too medically well-trained). As I approached the vehicle, I had my flashlight out and could see someone messing about. As I approached him we greeted one another and we shook hands. I came back with a handful of his blood on it (which I hadn't noticed in the dark, even with the flashlight). He told me that emergency services were on their way (he had a cell. phone) and was thankful that someone had stopped. I didn't really provide a service but I definitely learned to be careful shaking hands with injured victims! I suppose you could consider this "mutual aid", though I had not the skill to treat him for anything serious (though I would've definitely gone to get help if I'd have found him inside the vehicle and not walking around under his own capability).
ReplyDeleteAs to the acceptance of another's assistance, I've often taken it but I prefer not to request it too much. I've found that being able to do something for yourself is much more preferable than having to rely upon another's knowledge and skills, myself. There's a saying "Going fishing for someone will feed them for a day, and teaching them how to fish for themselves will feed them for a lifetime". Some might call it a "survivalist mentality", but I think it's better than being reliant upon a centralized governmental organization that will be incapable (in my experience) of getting there in time when things really count. In my experience most government employees are generally unmotivated because the ones that are motivated become a target by their fellow employees for making them look bad. The Japanese have a saying relating to this: "The nail that stands up, gets hammered down." and I've noticed this in America too. So for me, mutual aid and assistance has the value of near instantaneous implementation, but lacks the organized effort, skill, training and equipment available to the centralized governmental one.
F. Sperry
One time while driving down the road I got a flat tire. My friend and I pulled over in a farmers field and quickly changed the tire. When we put the spare on we realized it was flat also. The farmer pulled up in his truck soon after we realized this and offered to help. He went across the street to his barn and got an air compressor to come and blow up my tire. After he blew up the tire we were able to get back on the road and continue driving.
ReplyDeleteMaggie Van Vliet
10:10-11
100:05
Just like everyone else, I've both given and received voluntary help. As simple examples, I've opened doors for other people when they were carrying things and helped people pick up things that they've dropped. I usually don't like receiving help from other people, but times that I've received voluntary help has mostly been others spotting meals for me when I didn't have money.
ReplyDeleteNanette Yessler
PSCI 100.04
9:10-10:00
Being a college student involves a lot of moving. Any time someone needs help moving, I always offer to help because I know what it's like to need help moving. One time my friend was having a serious issue with roommates that caused her not to feel safe in her room anymore. It came to a point one night where she decided she had to move out, and made emergency arrangements to move to a different residence hall. I offered to help her, because I knew she was having a stressful time, and if I was in that situation I would not want to have to go through it alone. Moving out is stressful enough but when your personal safety is involved, it can be really difficult to deal with.
ReplyDeleteJessica Adkins
PSCI 100 MWF 9:10-10
There is an organization on campus called Emerging Leaders in Service. I participated in this a week before the fall semester started. We had one day of the week where we dedicated it to volunteer work around the community. I was assigned to the Shepherdstown Visitors Center. I spent the entire day welcoming everyone into Shepherstown and cleaning/organizing the visitor center. Another part of that week was helping the new incoming freshmen moving into their dorm rooms. Carrying all of their boxes and helping them set up their rooms if they asked. I also donate blood every time I can. I have donated a dozen times since I was 16. I try to do as much as I can for anyone I can.
ReplyDeletePlaying sports all of my life my teammates were my best friends and we always helped each other and had each others backs. My teammates were my mutual aid. Helping each other on and off the field/court. Also, my coworkers are like family. One day after work my car wouldn't start so all of my coworkers that were closing that night stayed and helped me jump my car.
Amber Myers
PSCI 100-05
I have driven many hours, bought quite a bit of food, and just generally helped out my roommates with anything I can. In return, they help me when they can or when I am financially needy. There is no government system and we act with mutual agreement and aid for each other. I would suppose that we are anarchists in our own little environment.
ReplyDeleteNathan Lewellyn
PSCI 100.04
I offered to help someone I did not know recently. I saw he was at a stoplight but his car was not working, and he waved everyone behind him to go around. I pulled over my car and helped him push it into a nearby parking lot.
ReplyDeleteI do not like asking for help, but I am very appreciative for the small things my friends do for me. A specific time someone willingly helped me was when I was working as a computer lab monitor and I forgot to eat. An acquaintance of mine went out of his way to bring me a sandwich. Us not being close friends did not matter, he was simply being kind.
Danielle Gesford
PSCI 100:05
A couple weeks ago when it snowed really bad I noticed someone driving their car up a steep hill on the unpaved road, they got stuck and their tires were spinning pretty bad. I coud tell the girl was freaked out because her car started going backwards. I pushed her car the rest of the way up the hill. I was helped last year without me having to ask when I was in my car driving a piece of plastic was hanging down and gragging on he ground. A woman heard it and came over to me and got on the ground and helped me fix it.
ReplyDeleteErin Phelan
PSCI 100:04