MAMAS Next Steps

#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:

• MAMAS Resource Hub

• Know Your Rights Resources

• Request Support

#free-store

• Look out for opportunities to deliver bins of clothing donations to partner orgs in #free-store.

• Prep for the next Free Store by donating gently used clothes, help us sort clothing donations once a month, or volunteer to help at our next Free Store (Details below)!

#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:

• [In-Person] Mend with MAMAS: Sun., Nov. 23, 1:30-3:30PM, at Connexion. 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. 

• Date/Time TBD: Hillside Community Church, (Check socials or slack for updates). 

Free Store Events:

• [In-Person] Clothing donations and Sorting Parties: Join us on the first Saturday of every month at Connexion! We'll accept and sort clothing donations in preparation for the next Free Store, as well as collect cash donations. The next drop-off date and sorting party is Sat., Nov. 1st, 1-4PM.

• [In-Person] Our next Free Store will be Sat., Nov. 22nd, from 10AM-2PM, at East Somerville Community School! 

Meetings:

• [Virtual] Free Store Check-in Meeting: Mon., Nov. 3rd, 7-7:45PM.  Check in via email (mamasfreestore@gmail.com) or slack for more info.

• [Virtual] Mending Skillshare Planning Meetings: second Monday of the month from 7-8PM. Ask in slack for an invite!

#wg-money + #money-in

• Cash Assistance + Direct Aid: Help MAMAS redistribute wealth and support our community members!

  • Contributing cash allows us to address our neighbors’ urgent needs like rent and emergency expenses, regardless of access to banking or e-payment apps. If you can't make it to one of our Cash Days (below), please reach out in slack or email mamasmoneyteam@gmail.com .

• 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!

Event:

• [In-Person] Cash Days: Stop by the nearest ATM on your way to the next two Free Store collection events on Sat., Nov. 1st and 8th, 1- 4PM at Connexion.  Cash donations will go to hotline requests from neighbors who need a hand. 

Money Team meeting: 

• [Virtual] Tues., Oct. 28th, 7:30 - 8:30pm on Zoom. Let us know in #wg-money if you want to join.

#wg-delivery

• Look out for opportunities to deliver giftcards + other resources to neighbors! They're posted in the slack channel (above) as they arise.

• Become a Grocery Pair! Support a neighbor by providing monthly food assistance that is fully reimbursable by MAMAS. 

• 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. More info here.

Events: 

• Next Supermarket Sweep: December, date TBA!

Grocery team meetings:

• [Virtual] Thursday evenings, for delivery coordinators. Check in via email/slack if you have questions.

#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 gardens in Somerville! Harvest free vegetables/herbs and say hi to any gardeners. Locations include 15 Albion Street, Conwell Ave (look for the MAMAS sign!), Area 52 (52 Elm Street), Trull Street (Look for the MAMAS sign!) and 36 Sewall Street.

Gardening Collective meetings (on Zoom):

• [Virtual] Second Tuesday of every month (next one is Tues., Nov. 11th, 6:30-8PM)

• Email us at mamasgardeningcollective@gmail.com or check #wg-gardening-collective for the link!

#wg-communications

#communications-requests

Next steps:

• Create graphics for instagram by looking for requests in #communications-requests. If you introduce yourself in #wg-communications, we can tag you when requests come in!

• 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., Nov. 19th, 6PM, Zoom

• Email askyourmamas@gmail.com (Subject: "Comms help") or check in #wg-communications for the link!

#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] Wed., Nov. 12th, 7:45-8:45PM - email or ask in slack for a link!

#wg-tech

• Find more people familiar with Notion (or excited to learn!), so we can update the website more regularly.

• 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 open meeting is Dec. 8th, 5PM, but we'd love to meet you on slack!

• Check in #wg-tech or email askyourmamas@gmail.com for the link!