Rockaway mutual aid members pitch in along the peninsula

Members of the Rockaway Mutual Aid & Support Network have been assisting neighbors since March 19. Photo via Rockaway Mutual Aid

By Noah Fleischman 

When Rockaway resident Jessica Krol first learned about the spread of the coronavirus along the peninsula, she realized many of her neighbors would be forced to isolate in their homes — a situation sure to challenge older adults, individuals with disabilities and people living alone.

After state and city shutdown orders cemented her concerns, Krol decided to step up and organize a network of neighbors to pitch in and help one another. 

The initiative, known as the Rockaway Mutual Aid & Support Network, began delivering food and medicine along the Rockaway peninsula on March 19. More than a month later, the network is still going strong. 

“When the first official COVID case was confirmed in Rockaway, I knew that our community was going to need ample assistance,” Krol said. 

“With all of the devastation that was — and still is — occurring due to this virus, I just couldn’t sit back and not do something about it,” she continued.

Following the lead of other mutual aid networks across Queens, Krol made a Google Spreadsheet and a Facebook group to launch the decentralized system. When someone posts on the Facebook group, members will respond and make plans together to best help that individual.

In addition to delivering food and medication, members help arrange transportation or simply someone to talk to neighbors during challenging moments in a region with few.

The first group of volunteers recruited friends and neighbors, Krol said. “Then those people began inviting others, who then invited more people, etc. and the group has grown exponentially since then,” she added.

Rockaway Mutual Aid now counts nearly 200 members, Krol said. All have committed to the guiding principles of mutual aid.

“This group is intended to be a space to provide resources, assistance, and connections between members of our community who may be suffering or unable to provide for their basic needs in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic,” the group’s Facebook page states. 

“The values of solidarity, mutual care, and direct action underlie our actions as a group.”