“Sitting down” with Bozeman Mutual Aid

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates daily, many community-oriented citizens across the nation are looking for ways to serve their vulnerable community members. Bozeman Mutual Aid (BMA) is an organization that aims to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in Bozeman and its surrounding communities, and to reduce the financial burden of flattening the curve. BMA does so by providing services such as grocery shopping, prescription pick up, etc. for vulnerable populations, and by providing direct financial support to impacted community members through their community fund (tinyurl.com/bznfund). While the Exponent was not actually able to sit down with BMA due to social distancing requirements, we were able to conduct an email interview with Yimei Shao, co-founder of the organization.

The following contains the most important questions and information gained from the interview:

What does Bozeman Mutual Aid (BMA) do?

We've filled multiple grocery/pharmacy pick-up requests, clothing donation requests, art supply requests and other similar material requests. We've also provided temporary housing for several individuals as well as a family in the wake of the Warming Center closure. Recently, with the help of other community members, we were able to provide firewood to a homeless camp that's been set up (see above photo). We've connected community members with social services and qualified volunteers have provided assistance in applying for the same. We've also provided financial assistance for medication purchases and other essential needs. 

We cover a broad range of services, filling the various service gaps that currently exist.

Who are the people behind BMA, and how did they come to collaborate on the organization?

BMA was initialized by Jeffrey Strock and Yimei Shao, two Bozeman residents and community organizers, with the help of B Bowman, a MSU nursing student. It is primarily being organized by Jeffrey Strock, Yimei Shao, Nic Acker, Vasu Sojitra (Adaptive Sports Director at Eagle Mount) and Zoë Unruh (a nursing student). 

This team came together organically through various community networks. We are also collaborating with various other individuals and community organizations in our efforts.

What was the inspiration behind BMA?

BMA was inspired by the outpouring of community desire to take action. Jeffrey, along with many other community members, posted on Facebook offering to deliver groceries for vulnerable community members (elderly, immunocompromised, etc.) who may not feel comfortable being around large crowds during this time. Yimei reached out to offer some more structure for a more streamlined effort. We realized that this was an emergent situation that required immediate action in order to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

What kind of volunteer work is available, and who can volunteer?

Volunteer work available: assisting with navigating and advocating to social services, entertainment (art, music, language), gear donation (jackets, sleeping bags, tents), making phone calls for outreach, pairing volunteers with those who need support, picking up and delivering groceries and tutoring. 

Anyone can volunteer! They can sign up to volunteer here (tinyurl.com/bznform). 

Who does BMA aim to serve?

BMA aims to serve Bozeman and its surrounding communities. We are prioritizing particularly vulnerable community members (elderly, immunocompromised, families with small children, etc.). 

While we currently do offer services for all of Gallatin Valley — not just Bozeman — we encourage smaller, targeted community efforts as well. We believe that the more local a mutual effort is, the more effective. Communities know best what they need and are best able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Those who are looking to start a similar effort in their town/locality are welcome to reach out to us for assistance setting up a mutual aid effort. So far, we've received requests for this from places as far as Virginia and as close as Livingston. 

Do you see this organization continuing once the COVID-19 crisis eventually dies down?

Yes, we definitely see BMA continuing to exist and adapting to other needs once the COVID-19 crisis has been resolved. We hope to create a lasting network of neighbors helping neighbors and to foster a sense of interconnectivity in this community. We believe that the issues being laid bare by COVID-19 are longstanding issues that will continue to persist even after this particular crisis has passed. 

What responses have you seen from the Bozeman community? Anything outside of what you were expecting? Have people given you new ideas for work that you can be doing?

There have been plenty of obstacles, but we've seen an immense amount of support from both individuals and organizations. To date, we have about 300 volunteers. We've also seen bigger existing organizations follow suit, such as the HRDC with their new Shop 4 a Senior program. 

As for new ideas for work, we as an organizing team are also constantly thinking about the most effective strategies for our group and how to make this a sustainable effort. We've come to the conclusion that while it can be tempting to expand the scope of our work, it's unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive for us to take on more. Plenty of other organizations have organically cropped up in Bozeman alone who are meeting many other urgent needs. We are working together to best support each other. However, we are also committed to adapting to changing conditions. 

If you or anyone you know is looking for a way to volunteer your time to serve the vulnerable members of our beloved Bozeman community, or if you yourself are looking for any degree of help during this pandemic, visit BMA’s website at tinyurl.com/bznform. You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/Bozeman.Mutual.Aid