There’s a long-running dialogue on the Left, which has resurfaced in a big way since the pandemic, about what direct service work has to do with building political power. Some people argue that it’s just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. We shouldn’t be doing harm reduction: we should be seeking to stop the harm in the first place, through structural change. But others argue that direct service can be the best way of engaging people. Poor people are on the streets; they’re hungry; they’re struggling; they need help now. And so, perhaps, for those of us interested in building political power among the dispossessed, mutual aid is exactly what we need, in order to meet folks where they’re at, and then march together towards justice.

In this episode, William is joined by two purveyors of mutual aid he is very familiar with, as they work in his hometown of Lansing, Michigan. Jerry Norris is the founder of the Fledge, a truly special and one-of-a-kind community center. Julia Miller is the driving force behind Punks With Lunch, an organization providing food, personal care, warm clothes, and harm reduction resources for people struggling with homelessness and addiction, which operates out of the Fledge.

Their conversation explores the political question around direct mutual aid as a focus, as well as how to center community needs and voices in these efforts and how the guests manage their own emotional needs while engaging in their work.

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