GatherFor

We support a neighborhood move toward self-sufficiency by organizing and resourcing groups of 5-7 people living in that neighborhood into “Neighbor Teams.” These Neighbor Teams:

• meet on zoom every 2 weeks
• meet in person once a month, and with $300 from GatherFor, to host any kind of in-person gathering they’d like
• build a culture of taking care of each other using the GatherFor workbook
• participate in a susu, in which they contribute $50-$100 each month into a common pot matched by GatherFor, with the whole pot then being given to one member of the team each month to use however they need (providing between $500-$1000 / month in financial support to each Neighbor)
• share local resources with each other through telegram groups
• join workshops open to the whole GatherFor community to learn about topics like finding housing in New York, navigating domestic violence, obtaining US citizenship, navigating conflict, telling a good story, or starting a business
• join other Neighbor Teams in the neighborhood for monthly Town Halls (with free food) to discuss best practices from each team and to inform strategy for GatherFor in the Neighborhood

In our early days, we’re piloting the approach with 30 residents of Brownsville, Brooklyn, who speak about their experience in this 2-minute video: https://vimeo.com/530636958.