The number of requests has drastically dropped but needs are still there. Through Mutual Aid Food Willesden, we have continued helping local residents with food parcels, however, we also feel that we need to help beyond just food as many residents feel isolated.
Recently, we helped an elderly resident in Neasden who broke her phone and was in tears as she was not able to make an important phone call. We asked Dollis Hill Mutual Aid for a donated phone and someone came forward within an hour. The resident was so thankful for the swift response. Another resident, a single mother with three young children, had only 80 pounds to live on last month. With help from Willesden Green, we donated money to help her pay the bills. We also organised for her to speak to a social prescriber. Other residents gave books, games, and clothes for her children.
These are just a few examples to demonstrate the need to work in close cooperation with other mutual aid groups, regardless of ward boundaries, in order to help local people rapidly.
Kieumy Pham Thai
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