Shakelia Bolden is STLMA’s Hotline Coordinator and founder of the CommUnity Closet, a free resource for hygiene and cleaning products, no questions asked. We sat down with her to hear a little about why she joined the collective and what mutual aid means to her.

Shakelia emphasized the importance of mutual aid as a form of assistance that doesn’t require jumping through hoops or sharing personal information.

Mutual aid has always come naturally to her, as she learned from her mother at a young age to always use the tools at her disposal to care for her community. While financial solidarity is necessary, mutual aid is much more than that! We care for each other in many ways.