By Max Grossman and Carlee Brown
Ward 6 Mutual Aid (W6MA) is a collective of Black and Brown grassroots organizations working together to help keep our communities safe. For over a year, the Southwest Pod of W6MA has partnered with Christ United Methodist Church (CUMC) on a community food and supply drive to serve our neighbors in response to COVID-19.
Interested in ways to help W6MA and CUMC? Here’s how you can:
- Donate groceries, cleaning supplies and household items at CUMC. We accept donations Wednesdays and Fridays 3-6 p.m., and on Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Please note that our Wednesday and Friday hours are subject to cancellation due to heat. On days the weather is preventatively hot, we will leave a sign outside the courtyard entrance indicating that the Pod is closed.
Needed items include:- paper towels and toilet paper;
- non-perishable foods: soup, corned beef hash, microwaveable meals, mac and cheese, powder drink mix, instant coffee, breakfast cereal, and bottled water;
- food that does not need to be cooked, such as energy bars or Brunswick Tuna Salad with crackers;
- personal hygiene: sanitary pads, diapers (sizes 2-4), and pull-ups;
- cleaning: dish soap, laundry detergent, and floor cleaner;
- kitchen supplies: frying pans and manual can openers;
- paperback books for adults, fiction novels, and memoirs.
- Come say hi and consider donating fresh produce bought at the Southwest Farmer’s Market at our table on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Donate to Serve Your City and W6MA’s annual Back to School Bash event that provides Black and Brown youth with backpacks that include the digital devices and school supplies necessary to thrive in school. See more information at serveyourcitydc.org/b2sb.
- Are you a business looking to give back to the community? The Back to School Bash is a great way to get involved! Find out more at serveyourcitydc.org/b2sbsponsor or email hannah@serveyourcitydc.org.
W6MA and CUMC have a number of ways you can get the support you need:
- If you or someone you know has a need for food or cleaning supplies, call the W6MA Hotline at 202-683-9962. You can request food, masks, cleaning supplies, and other goods for delivery.
- Obtain groceries, hygiene, and household supplies at the CUMC’s 5000 Ministry Food Pantry on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at 9 a.m. (courtyard entrance).
- If you can not come to the church due to health or mobility issues and you live in SW, call 202-554-9117 to request a delivery.
- Obtain fresh produce from SW Mutual Aid every Sunday morning at 9-10 a.m. at CUMC’s courtyard entrance.
Just want to learn more? Email swmutualaid@serveyourcitydc.org.