Mission Statement
Princeton Mutual Aid’s (PMA) purpose is to meet residents’ needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, to build a future where people have autonomy and power and are connected to each other.
The idea of mutual aid goes back as far as the 17th century English agrarian “Diggers,” who cultivated public land for the common good, and as near as the Black Panthers who fed 20,000 hungry New Yorkers each week during the early 1970s.
PMA never presumes to know anyone’s life better than they know it themselves. We learn by listening and connecting.
Our strength derives from our commitment to each other and our interdependence. We seek to grow our numbers consistent with inclusivity and intersectionality.
Princeton Mutual Aid: Make a friend before you need a friend — for quarantine and for always.
What we do:
Food distribution
Since March 2020, we have distributed over 2,000 packs of food to families and elderly neighbors in need. With Unidad Latina en Accion NJ, we supply day laborers with food parcels every 2 weeks. In late 2020, we started our Senior Delivery Service, which provides grocery packs to the elderly in our community.
Emergency cash
Whenever possible, we provide cash assistance for emergency needs—no questions asked. Please consider making a donation towards our current open cash asks.
Advocacy & support
At PMA, we believe that every person is an important member of our community. We actively advocate for racial justice, sustainability, transportation access, and affordable housing in Princeton, and we help neighbors negotiate lower payment plans for rent, utilities, and medical bills. If you know of a cause that could use our people power, please get in touch.
Direct services
Our direct/cash asks team reviews incoming requests for assistance and coordinates deliveries of medicine, groceries, and cash to individual neighbors and families in Princeton. From April 2020-May 2021, we fulfilled over 671 direct asks from community members, ranging from baby supplies to rental assistance.
Job alerts
We seek out local job openings and send them to a growing list of neighbors who are looking for work. Email us to share a listing or sign up for alerts.
COVID relief/Health justice
PMA is invested in the health of our community. We distribute masks and other essential goods for personal protection and lead direct action to expand COVID-19 services for underinsured, undocumented and uninsured folks in Princeton. Through our Vaccine Access program, we have helped over 100 neighbors schedule and get to their covid vaccine appointments.