By Katrina Avila
Celebrating its fourth anniversary on March 15, Ward 6 Mutual Aid (W6MA) emerged in 2020 to address community needs. Founded in 2009, Serve Your City (SYC) pivoted in 2020 to become W6MA’s lead partner. Together with almost 100 community partner organizations, SYC/W6MA has worked diligently to address systemic issues, offering essential resources such as food, clothes, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, diapers, face masks, student laptops, school supplies, online tutoring, virtual and outdoor afterschool programming, internet access, and more.
This is #solidarityNOTcharity in action, aiming to ensure that our neighbors and their communities have the abundance they need not just to survive but to thrive. Although specific challenges have transformed, our work continues, and we express deep gratitude to those who supported SYC over the last decade-plus and W6MA for the past four years. Your #solidarityNOTcharity sustains our ongoing efforts. Join SYC/W6MA as a volunteer member today by visiting bit.ly/SYCW6MAgetinvolved to learn more.
Curious about ways to contribute? Discover various ways to engage with Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid:
Virtual Tutors Needed: SYC/W6MA’s “Free School for Unlimited Youth” program provides FREE virtual tutoring to Black and Brown K-12 students across Washington, DC. We are constantly seeking passionate volunteer members to join our team! We welcome college students, graduate students, and professionals who are committed to making a difference in any subject. If you’re interested in becoming a virtual tutor, please visit bit.ly/sycvolunteertutor or contact us at youthenrichment@serveyourcitydc.org for more details.
SYC/W6MA’s Southwest Pod Winter Hours: SYC/W6MA’s SW Pod Donation hours are Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Neighbors in need are invited to visit the Pod once a month for provisions, including food, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and access to the Clothing Closet. The Southwest Pod of SYC/W6MA is located at Christ United Methodist Church (900 4th St SW – access through the courtyard gate at the back of the building on the side street off Wesley Place SW). Christ United Methodist Church’s 5000 Food Pantry will continue providing food and supplies on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, with no distributions on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.
Support the Southwest Clothing Closet at Christ United Methodist Church: We are seeking your support for the Southwest Clothing Closet at Christ United Methodist Church! Join us in making a difference by providing essential everyday wear, work attire, and stylish outfits for men and women in need. Clean, good-condition clothing and shoes are welcome, with a special emphasis on larger sizes. Additionally, we have a specific request for new or like-new underwear, t-shirts, bras, and socks. Your generous contributions can help us lend a helping hand to our community. The clothing closet is open every Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to serve our community members in need.
Support SYC/W6MA’s Southwest Pod! We are in need of donations such as:
- Non-perishable foods like canned tuna, canned chicken, pasta, pasta sauce, soup, canned fruit, boxed milk, peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, condiments, hot and cold cereal, Ensure, tea, coffee.
- Toiletries including toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap, deodorant, feminine products, and Depends.
Monetary Donations: Contribute online at bit.ly/sycw6ma-donate. Your contributions enable us to secure food from the Capital Area Food Bank, effectively tripling the impact compared to purchasing from a store.
Want to Learn More? For further details, feel free to reach out to us at: swmutualaid@serveyourcitydc.org.