Mutual Aid Group – Cooper River Indivisible

The mutual aid group is a part of the CRI Immigration Committee. Our overall mission is to help CRI to give assistance to members of the community with immediate needs. Based on what is happening with our current administration, our primary focus is on immigrant families affected by harmful policies.

The general membership’s response to the Mutual Aid Team’s call for donations of food and household items has been overwhelming since first published in the fall of 2025! As federal SNAP benefits were set to expire, we delivered approximately 2000 pounds of food to the Food Bank of South Jersey in November and December. Once ICE activity ramped up in South Jersey in the new year, we began getting referrals for local families with desperate needs. Our regular, on-going donation drives at meetings, as well as the individual efforts of many CRI members who have held drives of their own amongst family and friends have helped make a meaningful impact on the lives of many immigrant families in our communities. Our Mutual Aid Team has been delivering food and other support items to the following places:

Over 30 families in Camden County who have been devastated by ICE activity and detentions
Micro food pantries in partnership with laundry mats and apartment complexes in Lindenwold
Healthy snacks have been provided in “Goodie Bags” to the Wiggins Center in Camden, which is part of the Camden County Center for Family Services. The Center holds open gym night once a week to provide a safe space for Camden youth, and we have begun delivering Goodie Bags on a monthly basis for the children to take home.
The LUCY Outreach program’s Food Pantry. LUCY stands for Lifting Up Camden Youth, and this organization provides a safe place for children aged 7-19 outside of school hours. LUCY’s food pantry is available to their registered families 24-7, but they also open the pantry once a month to the community.
Cathedral Kitchen – we had several isolated sandwich-making parties last year, but now have a Team whose leader is holding regular gatherings in her home. Participants bring bread and sandwich meat and the team has delivered upwards of 600 sandwiches to Cathedral Kitchen to hand out to their guests.
Non-food items such as diapers, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies and other household essentials that were donated are part of our monthly deliveries to Wholesome Riches events in Camden. Wholesome Riches works with students, families, school partners, and community leaders to identify needs in the community and build a system of support to meet those needs.
Bags of gently used clothing has been donated to the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Camden and more clothing drives are planned going forward

On behalf of Cooper River Indivisible’s Immigration Committee, we would like to thank everyone who has contributed in any way for your generous support of our Mutual Aid mission. There is so much need in our community that aid efforts can often seem overwhelming. But what we cannot accomplish alone, we can accomplish together– as Gretchen always says: Together We Can!

The mutual aid group also partners with the Monthly Stitches for Solidarity Gatherings

In addition to these initiatives, we encourage our members to take part in the Monthly Spanish Language Class and the twice-a-month Spanish Conversation Club