How ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook Groups Are Emerging as Sites for Mutual Aid
Alongside gifts of Ikea furniture and outgrown toddler clothes, some groups are becoming de facto food distribution networks
This story was originally published on Civil Eats.
Yulia Koudriashova is a single mom and teacher living with her two daughters in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond neighborhood. Her parents moved in with them in March when they were evacuated from Kiev after Russia invaded Ukraine. With Koudriashova’s salary as the household’s only source of income, the family has come to rely on the boxes of food they pick up nearly every week from a neighbor’s garage.
“For my parents, it’s very helpful because they see the support of the members of our community,” Koudriashova said. “They have nothing, they don’t have money, and we are sharing the same budget for five people.”
If Koudriashova can’t make a pickup, which typically takes place on Saturdays, she will likely receive … Read more