Mutual Aid: We Are Our Most Powerful Resource

An 82-year-old Boothbay Harbor woman shows us what mutual aid looks like

United in solidarity, a group embraces each other in a warm display of support and togetherness.

After the March, the Momentum is ours to Carry Forward In response to our newsletter call for deeper community beyond the rallies, an 82-year-old woman in Boothbay Harbor answered with grace - and a remarkable offer. She’s a licensed notary and marriage officiant and she offered to waive her fee for any LGBTQIA+ couple who feels uneasy about getting married in these turbulent times. She asked to remain anonymous but was happy for us to share her offer.

This notary’s quiet act of generosity is a powerful reminder of what mutual aid looks like.

What is Mutual Aid? Mutual aid is a form of community support where people voluntarily share resources, skills, and care to meet each other’s needs - without hierarchy, and often outside traditional institutions. It’s rooted in solidarity, not charity. People have been forming mutual aid groups — formal or informal — perhaps since humans have existed. The power of ordinary people collaborating and exchanging resources far exceeds what individuals can achieve alone.

Mutual aid isn’t just about food or shelter. It means offering what you have — a skill, a service, a connection, or simply your time — and working with others on what they need and can offer in return. It’s a way of life, and a powerful response in times of crisis. “Historically, social movements are successful when huge numbers of ordinary people organize to fight back, making it impossible for extraction and violence to continue.”— Shareable, Mutual Aid 101

Most recently, many participated in mutual aid during the COVID-19 pandemic: people in food-related businesses collaborated to get meals to those in need; manufacturers pivoted to produce masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and vulnerable communities.

Momentum Beyond the March

We’ve been asking: What comes next? How do we move from protest to progress?

Getting closer in our communities and building mutual aid networks is part of our answer. We take our energy and turn it into action — rooted in care, grounded in everyday solidarity, and aimed at protecting one another.

Maine is a neighborhood. Democracy is our house.

And right now, our house is on fire. But when Mainers show up for each other — whether by marching, officiating a wedding, cooking for a neighbor, or offering a ride — we remember that we’re not powerless.

“Building robust and sustainable mutual aid networks is necessary to care for each other and build power.” -  SHAREABLE.

We’re building something stronger, together.

The Boothbay Harbor notary’s offer is a quiet act of love and resistance. It reminds us that in moments of fear or uncertainty, community is built one act at a time.If you’re inspired to start or join a mutual aid network, the site SHAREABLE offers a detailed, helpful toolkit for getting started.

If you’re interested in connecting with the notary who made this generous offer, please reach out to us at info@activatemaine.com— we’d be glad to put you in touch.

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