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At the Climate Justice Leadership Alliance (CJLA), we believe mutual aid is a critical part of building a community that can actively contribute to Climate Justice and Climate Liberation. We recently partnered with SAFE Boulder and explored what mutual aid looks like on the ground, learning from experts who are committed to economic justice, racial justice, and community-led solutions.

Here are 5 things you need to know about mutual aid and how you can get involved in our upcoming Climate Justice event:

What is Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid isn’t just a nice gesture or a temporary fix; it is a radical practice that challenges the deeply entrenched systems of inequality, oppression, and transactional relationships that govern our lives today. It bypasses extractive processes that often impose systemic barriers to aid, and instead relies on direct, community-based action through��horizontal��non-transactional relationships to provide immediate relief through redistributing and sharing resources, skills, knowledge etc.

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How Does Mutual Aid Challenge The Status Quo?��

Unlike traditional bureaucratic or transnational systems that require money, time, or other forms of compensation, mutual aid operates through trust, community action, responsibility, and most importantly solidarity.�� In short, mutual aid does not wait for governmental or institutional permission. This type of organizing works from the ground up, empowering communities to act for themselves and in solidarity with one another, without waiting or relying on the slow-moving machinery of government or corporate systems.����

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How Does Mutual Aid Reframe “Need”?

Mutual aid recognizes that “need” is not an individual issue but a systemic one. It understands that when one person is in need, it is a reflection of broad systemic and communal failures– whether it's economic inequality, racism, or environmental injustice. Rather than perceiving need as something that requires charity, mutual aid sees it as a collective responsibility built upon solidarity and trust. In doing so, mutual aid not only reframes action through community mobilization but as a tool for healing– not just as individuals but entire systems.��

Why Does Mutual Aid Matter For Climate Justice?

Mutual aid is directly linked to climate justice as it bypasses the fragmented systems that inhibit community action and facilitate environmental exploitation and extraction when institutions and governments fail to provide assistance– whether its legal, financial, food, or health– communities come together to provide what's needed.��

For example, mutual aid networks in Los Angeles have created a diverse network, supporting unhoused and displaced families as wildfires have increased in frequency and severity.�� Moreover, during the 2025 Palisades fires, mutual aid organizers worked together to create vast resource lists, advocate for long-term housing, host emergency fundraisers, and provide resources such as food, water, masks, emergency kits, and pet support.��

Indigenous communities also have a long history of mutual aid, such as long supply hauls for elders during the winter, medicinal herbal clinics, etc, that are derived from many different mutual aid models. Here in Boulder, SAFE Boulder organizes weekly food and supply distributions, emergency cold-weather survival distributions, pop-up warming shelters, cop watch activities to monitor and report on local law enforcement action rooted in developing community self-determination and breaking free from oppressive cycles.��

How to Get Involved��

Local and On-Campus Mutual Aid Groups:��

Mutual aid starts right here on campus! Whether it’s sharing food, resources, or support, you can be part of a community that looks out for one another. Check in with the��Basic Needs Center for food and housing support, or get involved with the��Farm and Garden Club to help grow and share fresh produce.

Looking to expand beyond ��ɫ��Ƶ? Organizations like��SAFE, Boulder Food Rescue, and Food Not Bombs work to provide food, housing support, and more throughout the community. Explore ways to volunteer and be part of the movement!

If you want to learn more about Mutual Aid, the Solidarity Economy, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and many other forms of Climate Justice work in action join the CJLA by attending any of our events or reaching out to ejt@colorado.edu

Reading��

Reading is a pivotal tool to expand our understanding and create a network of knowledge that applies to coursework, every day, or global issues. Here’s a list of recommended reading from SAFE Boulder, and resources to get you started. You don’t need formal experience to organize—simply read, learn, and take action: