The world feels enormous, and the problems of the world can feel even more gigantic. Racial justice. Poverty. Hopelessness. The organization I am spotlighting today takes on these vast problems on a local level to create a better Maine community.
Project Relief is a racial justice and mutual aid organization founded by a group of Black youths in Maine. They have organized protests, marches, and community events to combat the rise of white supremacy. They do a fantastic job of speaking out against hate and injustice. For example, a few weeks ago, Project Relief organized a counter-protest in response to some "white lives matter" demonstrators in downtown Portland. Downtown Portland is home to many Black and immigrant residents, and the incredible presence of Project Relief at this demonstration let the residents know that they are welcome and wanted in Maine.
Photo from Project Relief Demonstration, February 2023
Project Relief also does a great job organizing mutual aid for the Maine community. In case you are unfamiliar with the term (which is ok! We are all here to learn!), mutual aid is the concept of ordinary people coming together to help each other out, with the understanding that the system is not providing for all of our needs.
Project Relief participates in mutual aid by organizing donations and giving them directly back to people in need. They organized a coat drive to provide warmth for asylum seekers this winter. They ran a back-to-school backpack drive for low income students. Recently, they raised enough money to prevent a single mother and her child from being evicted after the rental assistance program that was supposed to help them ran out of funds.
I have been a big fan of Project Relief for quite a while, and I have been a monthly donor since October 2022. I like that they help people in our community, and they post the receipts of what they do so you know exactly who your money is helping. They take the big issues and do their best to fix them, one person at a time. If we could all do even a fraction of that work, this world would be a much better place.
Project Relief Venmo handle, if you are interested in making a donation
Project Relief currently has 80 monthly donors, and has set a goal to reach 100 monthly donors so they can continue their good work. If you are interested in learning more or becoming a monthly donor, visit Project Relief on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/projectreliefme/?hl=en
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