Mutual Aid Map

The Problem

During crises — natural disasters, pandemics, economic hardship — people want to help their neighbors but have no persistent system for it. Mutual aid networks spring up on Facebook groups, Google Spreadsheets, and WhatsApp chats, then dissolve when the crisis passes or the group admin moves on.

There’s no lasting, privacy-respecting infrastructure for community mutual aid. Every time a new crisis hits, communities have to rebuild from scratch — on platforms that harvest their data.

The Vision

A platform that maps local mutual aid networks and resources, lets people offer or request help (rides, food, skills, tools, shelter), works offline during emergencies, and doesn’t require any social media account. Privacy-respecting by design — reputation without identity.

Think Nextdoor’s hyperlocal focus meets Craigslist’s simplicity — but built for mutual aid, not commerce. A permanent layer of community support infrastructure that’s ready before the next crisis hits.

What’s Been Done

• Researched existing mutual aid platforms and identified what works and what doesn’t
• Surveyed mutual aid organizers about their biggest pain points
• Explored offline-first architecture patterns for emergency scenarios

How to Help

Just Interested? Request to join and tell us about mutual aid networks in your community. Real-world context shapes better tools.

Have Ideas? We need input on trust/reputation systems that don’t require real identity, offline sync strategies, and how to make the tool useful outside of crisis moments.

Ready to Build? We need help with the mobile app, mapping features, offline-first design, and UX for people who’ll be using this in stressful situations. Claude handles the code — you bring the vision.

Community Organizer? If you’ve run mutual aid efforts before, your experience is invaluable for getting the UX right.