About the author: Gilbert Achay (he/him/his/siya)  spent over a decade in local and national nonprofits, engaged in youth programs and health advocacy. For nine years he worked at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, serving the company’s philanthropic initiatives on health and racial equity. He is also a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant with the Sankofa Leadership Network.

Originally from Hawai’i, Gilbert grew up learning about his grandparents’ experiences as union workers in the sugarcane plantation fields. This spurred his interest in organizing and contributing to social causes that address power imbalances. He has a B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota, with concentrations in Child Development, Psychology, and Holistic Health, and is a graduate student in counseling psychology at Saint Mary’s University. Gil currently works for the Department of Family Medicine at CU as the DEI & Health Equity Specialist.

In our efforts to support the health and well-being of our communities, we often find that our existing approaches fall short of “meeting communities where there are” as they face social, economic, and political threats “in real time”. With patients, our process of referrals involves navigating complex structures, at times creating insurmountable barriers to service delivery. Policy change, while potentially impactful for populations in the long term, can entail years of mobilization. Similarly, formal education may require lengthy investments to inspire a next generation of skilled advocates.   

Of course, all of these systems – policy change, patient care, and education – are needed. But what can we do for our communities as critical social programs and legal protections are attacked?

Throughout history, many cultures have innovated sophisticated ways of rapidly responding to emergencies resulting from natural disasters, oppression, and war. Mutual aid is one of these methods, an approach to “collective care” involving the compassionate sharing of resources and support. In effect, local networks organize people within a community to “look after” after each other by meeting critical needs, such as food, housing, and safety. Some also offer skilled and technical services, such as legal representation, construction work, and healthcare. Mutual aid intervenes where complex systems, such as government, institutions, and some nonprofits have failed, and avoids burdening recipients with intricate application and intake processes.    

Colorado is home to a range of mutual aid efforts, from small grassroots groups, programing offered by nonprofit organizations, and financial support from philanthropic foundations. Below are a few links of mutual networks and directories from across Colorado. Take a moment to learn more about Mutual aid, and what resources are available in your community!

Primer on mutual aid

https://www.mutualaid.coop/what-is-mutual-aid

Colorado Resources

Resource Directory by University of Denver (Denver)

Mutual Aid Partners (Grand Junction)

Mutual Aid Union (Colorado Springs)