Photo courtesy of Ted S. Warren ( AP ).LeeAnn Floyd began to have nightmares about people being killed as the heat built in the Pacific Northwest over the weekend. Floyd was frustrated by the lack of visible, detailed government and official recommendations for how to stay safe inside a hot house. She posted a series of heat-beating tips on Twitter. It quickly went viral. She shared her experiences, as well as those of my aunties and grandparents, on Twitter, describing the suggestions that ranged from how to recognize heatstrokes and what to eat, to how to store lightweight dress socks from Dollar Tree in the freezer for cooling aids.AdvertisementFloyd, who stated that she has been extremely poor her entire life, made a mutual assistance callout in her thread. "If you only have two fans, please drop your cashapp or PayPal under this tweet. I will RT it since youre going to need more than two fans," she wrote in one tweet. This isn't a one-and-done event. This will be a regular event for us all.The funding for disaster aid agencies can be slow and vary between states. FEMA reimbursements can take several months and aid payouts may take even longer. However, disasters such as heat waves, fires and floods can take months to process and result in FEMA reimbursements and aid payouts. After decades of being hollowed-out, the government is often unable to provide basic necessities for people. Last fall's survey found that almost two-thirds (33%) of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck since the onset of covid-19. There was an explosion in mutual aid networks during the pandemic and a normalization in calls for assistance on social media. Mutual aid is proving to be a very effective tool to assist in times of climate crisis, which are putting pressure on federal and local governments.After reading Floyd's thread, I was shocked at how little information I could find about what to do or how to get help during a heat wave. On the main Seattle website, there is a list listing cooling centers, shelters for homeless people, pools and sprinklers. The list also has a graphic at the top that instructs people to locate cool, air-conditioned places to stay, hydrate and avoid being outside. Note at the bottom states that the city's Department of Finance and Administrative Services distributes supplies to shelters. This is far from Floyd's extensive tips.I was unable to locate information on where to crowdsource free or reduced rate supplies like ice, cooling packs, short-term loans, grants or fans. This is not surprising in Seattle, which is the least air-conditioned metropolitan area in the country. New York City, for example, has programs that help to cover the costs of installing air conditioning units. However, these programs can prove to be too costly and difficult when it comes to extreme heat. The New York programs website lists a multistep process that includes submitting an application with a letter from your doctor for a $800 benefit.Direct giving and community engagement can make a difference in lives quicker than any other method.Floyd has had some personal experience with the effectiveness of turning to government programs for assistance. She said that she does not know of any heat wave programs in Maine, where she has lived most of her adult life. However, she is very critical of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which offers assistance for heating homes. She said that it is difficult to apply and rarely makes a significant difference.AdvertisementFloyd stated that she was helped before by strangers who gave money online. She wrote that direct giving and community engagement can make a difference in people's lives quicker than any other method.The phenomenon of people coming together to assist their neighbors in crisis is well documented academically. For example, more than 1,000,000 people volunteered on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers often lead the way in forming ad-hoc rescue groups and non-profits that come together after a major crisis. In fact, volunteerism is so ingrained in our disaster response that it is possible to create a disaster fatigue by having multiple crises. This could increase the pressure on federal and state emergency management agencies. It seems that smaller mutual aid networks still exist in this vacuum. Some of their requests may be easier than others. It is much easier to send $20 to someone in need via Venmo than it is to drive for hours volunteering.AdvertisementK.C. lives in Seattle with her husband and two children. She was one of those who responded to Floyd's call for help. She asked for her initials because she does online sex work. Her family moved to Seattle during the pandemic. They were unable to buy a car until several months later, which severely limited her job prospects. Although she has been working with OnlyFans to make some extra money, June was her worst month. Her fianc is a landscaper and does many maintenance jobs outdoors. The car is running but it's not cool because of a bad catalytic converter. It will cost $2,000 to repair.In a Twitter DM, she stated that her apartment has a fan but she hopes to raise some cash for other supplies like sunscreen, sun hats and food frozen packs. Her apartment freezer is damaged.AdvertisementPerhaps some water shoes for the Kids and me for our nighttime lake visits. She wrote that there was enough to keep us both sane, and warm. This is my primary concern.K.C. K.C. has not seen any official outreach from the municipality offering assistance, but she has seen people organize ad-hoc neighborhood aid groups via Facebook to deliver supplies to residents and share tips on beating the heat. They also crowdsource items at stores that have ice. She shared many screenshots with me.AdvertisementShe said that even THEY are reaching out in the neighbourhood to help fund supplies.It can change the course of their lives for a year when things like these happen. They are just trying to pick up the pieces after a bad day.AdvertisementAlthough social media makes it easier to network for help, mutual aid and community societies have been around longer than the internet. Food Not Bombs has been organizing in cities around the world to repurpose food and provide free meals for people living with AIDS since the 1980s. The Shanti Project was also one of the first organizations to offer services to those living with AIDS.Charmane Neal, the executive director at Hey Yall Detroit is a grassroots community organization that supports families in Detroit with food access and literacy programs. Neal took action after 7 inches (17.8 cms) of rain fell in the Detroit metro area Friday, flooding streets, roads, and basements throughout the city. She was currently working with 80 families in different areas whose homes and cars were flooded as of Monday.AdvertisementNeal was working hard to provide food and other basic supplies for families in need when we spoke. The city had established a hotline to help flood victims. However, local media reported that it was difficult to reach the line and that it was often busy. She was also researching local companies that could assist families in dire need and looking into purchasing pumps to drain flood-damaged basements. She said that she is working to secure renters or homeowners insurance for these families. Only two families with whom she was working were insured.Neal attributed the flood to the city. She said that the city has not addressed its infrastructure problems for years. This adds to the severity and climate crisis its citizens are now facing.AdvertisementShe said that Detroit has a bad reputation. She said that the people she helps aren't lazy and are either living below the poverty line, or are about to become so. It can change the course of their lives for a year when things like these happen. They are just trying to pick up the pieces after a bad day.These crowdsourced lists are available for those who want to support relief efforts in Detroit or the Pacific Northwest.
