CT Mutual Aid:East of the River includes a diverse group of people, members of the African American & Black Affairs Council (AABAC) and Uniting for A Safe Inclusive Community - Manchester (USIC). Our two groups have been partnering together over the past few years on policy advocacy for our community. We came together at this time to develop this new Mutual Aid network as a direct response to the needs of our community during the COVID-19 crisis. We see the need to coordinate resources and material and social support between all of us to meet the needs of each of us living east of the river in Manchester, South Windsor, East Hartford, Vernon and the surrounding area. Our purpose is to meet our community's needs not being met  by current social systems through solidarity rather than charity, valuing and respecting the dignity of us all. We recognize that during this time more than ever, we need to build relationships with our neighbors based on trust and common interest, collectively deciding how to share and pool resources with one another. Our overall goal is to learn and grow together as a community and support each othe. forging stronger connections into the future. Specifically, we are working to facilitate safe access to food and diapers, and to provide our community with language accessible information on navigating food and housing systems.