Austin Mutual Aid

This summer, Austin Mutual Aid is responding to extreme heat and increased displacement by providing cooling kits, hydration supplies, outreach, and community support for our unhoused neighbors. We’re looking for volunteer members, partners, and supporters to help us distribute 625+ cooling kits and thousands of hydration supplies across Austin. Join our planning meetings, host a community day, support with funds & supplies. Housing saves lives. But community helps keep people alive.

Saturday, May 23rd, Austin Mutual Aid and the North Austin Foundation held a watercolor class focused on healing, creativity, coping skills, and hope. 💛

The class discussion centered on mistakes, perspective, and learning to “paint a different picture” when life feels stuck.

Participants were reminded that even when life feels messy or unfinished, there is still room to create something meaningful.

This class was the first in our new series of community educational classes, skillshares, and workshops.

If you know unhoused neighbors, or are part of a program serving unhoused individuals, and would like this class brought free of charge to your community, please contact us!

Special thanks to Austin Creative Reuse for donated supplies that helped make this possible.

You showed up. That matters.

But showing up is not the work—it’s the beginning of it.

What we do after matters more:
who we follow
who we support
how we stay consistent

If you’re not directly impacted, your role isn’t to lead.
It’s to listen, support, and take direction.

Movements don’t grow from moments.
They grow from people who stay.

Tag orgs & organizers already doing the work below so folx can find them and step in immediately.

We keep us safe.

Fun events the next few days:

Tomorrow we gather to remember Jessica Nairns. If you knew Jess, worked alongside her, or were impacted by her work, we invite you to come share space with us. Or maybe you just know someone like her.

The words in these slides are Jessica’s own words—written from her lived experience and her advocacy for our unhoused neighbors. Jess believed deeply in speaking truth about what people on the margins face and what real solutions look like.

Jess was also one of the original voices behind our Creative Housing Initiative in 2021. Last week, one of the final OG participants from that program was finally housed after seven years of homelessness. Jess believed change happens when community shows up—and we’re still seeing that ripple.

Homelessness is a community issue first and a barrier issue second.

So we’re asking our community: how are you showing up right now?

If you can, come through tomorrow to remember Jess and hold space together. 💐