ABOUT THE SPACE

The Mutual Aid Disaster Distro is an autonomous space for organizing mutual aid relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Within the warehouse, volunteers can find like-minded friends to work along side with, share initiatives, and help develop projects to support those most affected by the storm. Here's what a regular day inside of the distro can look like:

picking up supplies and driving out east
helping sort and catalogue inventory
preparing loads to be driven out east
organizing a supply drive in your local park
or building communication platforms to help reach other potential supporters

The MAD Distro is not an "organization" - volunteers won't find a top-down command structure here, and no one will be handing you your marching orders for the day. It's best instead to understand the distro as a communal open space, one where there are always tasks to be done or possibilities to explore. What matters here is a willingness to take the initiative when you see something that needs doing, horizontal communication so that folx know what you're working on, and a desire to begin your own support projects. Nor is anyone here a "professional." The vast majority of people coming through the space have never done this kind of work before, but through sharing experience, skills, and our time, we're learning how we can support each other and survivors of the storm together.

From Hurricane Harvey in Houston to Hurricane Urma in Puerto Rico, experience proves that this method of organizing works significantly better than state institutions like FEMA. In the last week alone, volunteers working within the space and across a network of groups have helped move tens of thousands of supplies across the state of so-called North Carolina. We've coordinated shipments in Wilmington, Lumberton, Kinston/New Bern, Duplin, Clinton, Brunswick, and other areas that lie in the flood plains. We've been able to do this through building a network of drop-sites, pickup and box trucks, motorboats, and even airplanes.

This space is dedicated towards mutual aid, not charity. Those affected by the floodwaters know exactly what they need, and our efforts are aimed at listening to those voices, building connections with them, and supporting them as they ask us to. An extremely long history of systemic racism has taught us that in times like these, we cannot count on the state to support us or others who are marginalized. We've prioritized reaching out to indigenous communities, working-class people of color, migrant farm-worker communities, and the rural poor. We keep us safe!

DONATIONS

Please bring items from the list below to our drop-off site at 800 Henderson Street, Durham, NC between 12PM and 7PM, Tues - Sun. We will get all donated items to Hurricane impacted communities, usually within 24 hours. Our focus is on serving those most in need, those lacking the resources to purchase provisions themselves, and those not adequately served by large government or national non-profit relief efforts.

Donation Links

If you would like to make a monetary contribution, you may make a tax-deductible donation through our partner Mutual Aid Carrboro through Venmo: @mutualaid-carrboro).
You can also donate to the Interfaith Alliance for Climate Justice through Venmo: @interfaithclimatejustice (please designate in a note that the donation is for Lumberton disaster relief) or Mutual Aid Disaster Relief through Venmo: @mutualaiddisasterrelief.
If you like, you can purchase items from our Amazon Wish List and have them delivered to our Distro, or you can support our GoFundMe to purchase a box-truck for deliveries.

Drop Sites

Here is a list of additional drop-sites across the state where you can leave donations:

Durham:
- Durham Food Co-op, 1111 W Chapel Hill St, Durham NC 27701 • Sun-Sat 9AM-9PM
- Club Boulevard Elementary School, 400 W. Club Bldv, Durham NC • Mon-Fri 8AM-3PM
- E.K. Powe Elementary School, 913 9th St, Durham NC • Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM
- Southwest Elementary School, 2320 Cook Rd, Durham NC • Mon-Fri 8AM-3:30PM
- Carolina Friends School, 404-A Alexander Ave, Durham NC • MTTF 6AM-5PM
Raleigh:
- NC A. Philip Randolph Institute, 1408 Hillsborough St, Raleigh NC 27601 • Sun-Fri 12PM-4PM
- Anchorlight, 1401 South Bloodworth St, Raleigh NC • 11AM - 5PM
Chapel Hill:
- Zog's Pool Hall, 108 Henderson St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 • Mon-Sat 3PM-11PM
- Chatham Marketplace, 480 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC 27312 • Sun 10AM-5PM, Mon-Sat 7AM-9PM
- Chapel Hill County Visitors Bureau, 501 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
- Steel String Brewery, 106 S Greensboro St, Carrboro NC 27510 • Sun 12PM-12AM, Mon-Sat 4PM-12AM
Greensboro/Burlington:
- Elsewhere, 606 S Elm St, Greensboro NC 27406 • Wed-Sat 10AM-5PM
- DownHome NC Alamance Office, 1246A Plaza Drive, Burlington NC 27215 • Mon-Sat 12PM-8PM
- Redeemer Presbyterian Mission House, 1046 Miller St, Winston Salem NC • SMWFS 9AM-1PM, Tues/Thurs 4PM-8PM