A year and a half later, East Brooklyn Mutual Aid has undergone multiple evolutions, organizers told City Limits in interviews this summer. In the spring of 2020, as word about the organization’s work spread, more people began volunteering, and more families reached out to ask for help. Soon they were buying produce and other food in bulk from the Restaurant Depot. Then they collaborated with a group called the Brooklyn Packers to source food in larger quantities at more affordable prices. Now, they have made the connections to be able to buy produce straight from local Black-owned farms. Since the 2020 holiday season, East Brooklyn Mutual Aid has seen a drastic decrease in donations and volunteers, but Taitt said they’ve been adjusting the best they can, including by beginning to shift over to a food co-op model.
The group is but one example of the way mutual aid organizations have adapted to changing circumstances over the course of the pandemic.
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