February 9, 2021
PRESS RELEASE: BERKSHIRES DSA DISTRIBUTES MUTUAL AID REQUEST FORM
Pittsfield, MA — The Berkshires chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is distributing a Mutual Aid Request Form.
Anyone living in Berkshire County who needs support in surviving this season may request a care package of personal care items and home cleaning supplies by completing this confidential request form. Fifty packages are available first-come, first-served starting today, February 9th; this form will close automatically when the limit is reached.
Members of the Berkshires Democratic Socialists of America will make contactless deliveries on the afternoon of Saturday, February 20th.
“For many, the costs of personal care, paper products, and cleaning supplies are prohibitively expensive,” said Chapter Co-Chair Abigail Childs. “Despite being essential these items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits. Life under capitalism is relentless and we must take responsibility for each other’s needs now more than ever.”
This mutual aid effort comes on the heels of a “Bread and Roses” food distribution where 130 grocery bags of fresh and shelf-stable food were distributed with a handmade paper rose—at Pittsfield Common back in December 2020. The Bread and Roses project addresses some immediate needs while the Chapter continues organizing long-term social and economic change.
A historic rallying call of the American labor movement inspired the project’s theme. In 1912, “Bread for all, and roses too!” united the Lawrence, Massachusetts textile workers who striked for humane working and living conditions. Led by immigrants, most of whom were women, the mass demonstrations sparked poetry and song.
The DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States. DSA’s members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in American communities and politics. We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. DSA members use a variety of tactics, from legislation to direct action, in the fight to empower working people.
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