Get Involved

Hotline

Hotline members monitor an inbox where community requests come in, responding to messages and trying to connect neighbors with resources.

Slack channels: #wg-hotline

Next steps to get involved:

• We really need more hotliners! If you’d like to connect neighbors with the resources they need, consider becoming a hotliner! Fill out this interest form, and we’ll connect with you. We especially need more volunteers who can speak Spanish or Haitian Kreyol but these extra language skills are not required!
• You can find more information about what volunteering with the Hotline involves here.

Free Store

Free store collects and sorts clothing which they distribute at several large events each year.

Slack channels: #free-store

Next steps to get involved:

• Donate gently used clothing, shoes, hats, bandanas, and sunglasses during drop-off hours, details listed below! We’re especially looking for sun protection hats, sunglasses, and bandanas for summer! (Specific dates are below).
• Help with receiving and sorting clothes donations! We could use extra hands at the next event (date below).
• Right now, we’re in need of storage bins (with lids) and shelving! Email mamasfreestore@gmail.com to coordinate a drop-off.
• Look out for opportunities to deliver bins of clothing donations to partner orgs in #free-store. 

Free Store Events:

• [In-person] Clothing drop-offs + sorting parties are now held in both Somerville and Medford!
  • Somerville: at Connexion (149 Broadway, Somerville) on the 1st Saturday of every month. Next one is Sat., Aug. 1st, 1-4PM. (We’re taking July off for the holiday!)
  • Medford: at First Community Church (55 Otis Street) on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Next one is Sat. Jul. 11th, 10AM-1PM.
• The next Free Store will be held in August 2026. 

Free Store Team Meetings:

• [Virtual] Free Store Check-in Meeting: Mon., Jul. 6th, 7-7:45PM.  Check in via email (mamasfreestore@gmail.com) or slack for more info!

Groceries + Delivery

Groceries team pairs neighbors with each other to deliver grocery gift cards to households that need them.

Slack channels: #wg-delivery

Next steps to get involved:

• Contribute money to buy grocery gift cards! Recurring, monthly assistance helps us expand the number of households we can support. 
• Become a Grocery Pair! Build community by delivering a grocery gift card each month to a neighbor. Some grocery pairs are reimbursed by MAMAS, while others are sponsored by the delivery person (~$100–$300/mo). If you’re interested in either option, let us know! 
• Participate in the next Supermarket Sweep Day! Meet up + help distribute $5,000+ in grocery giftcards to folks who need them. Signups for Sweeps are one-time, rather than recurring commitments. Post in the slack channel or email us if you’re interested in participating!
• Look for opportunities to deliver giftcards + other resources to neighbors in the delivery slack channel (above) as they arise.

Events:

• [In-person] Next Supermarket Sweep: July, date TBD.

Grocery team meetings:

• [Virtual] Coordinators Meetings: weekly on Thursday evenings. If you’re not already a coordinator, check in via email/slack with questions.

Gardening Collective

The Gardening Collective cultivates food gardens that anyone is welcome to harvest from.

Slack Channel: #wg-gardening-collective

Next steps to get involved:

• Fill out interest form to indicate what you’re interested in helping with (we’ll send you a follow-up email and add you to the mailing list)

Gardening Collective Events:

• 🌱 [In-person] Visit MAMAS’ gardens any time! Harvest free vegetables/herbs and say hi to any gardeners. Somerville locations include:
  • Area 52 (Mossland at Elm Street)
  • 42 Elm Street
  • 36 Sewall Street
  • More gardens are on Trull Street, Albion Street, and Conwell Ave – just look for the MAMAS signs!

Gardening Collective Meetings:

• [Zoom] Tues., Jul. 14th, 6:30 PM. Email us at mamasgardeningcollective@gmail.com or check #wg-gardening-collective for the link!

Air Conditioner Redistribution

Help keep your neighbors safe and cool this summer by helping MAMAS distribute A/Cs to community members!

Slack channels: #air-conditioners

Next steps to get involved:

• Donate an A/C unit by contacting us (contact info below). When you contact us, include:
  • 1) your preferred contact method
  • 2) how many BTUs on your A/C (usually found on a sticker on the side)
  • 3) type of unit (window, portable, etc.)
  • 4) if you can deliver it or need someone else to do the driving and lifting
• Spread the word in Medford & Somerville, digitally and physically! Here are printable flyers. (We only have capacity to support folks in Medford/Somerville). 
• Help with transporting, lifting, and installing A/C units! If you have a car and can lift/install an A/C unit, email/call us (details below) or introduce yourself on  #air-conditioners. Be on the lookout for requests in that slack channel!
  • We’re also exploring the idea of “office hours,” where a delivery person would be on call for a given evening.

Contact the AC team:

• Request an AC
• Email: askyourmamas@gmail.com
• Text or leave a voicemail at our hotline: 339-545-1315.

Mending Skillshare

Mending Skillshare meets twice a month to teach each other repair skills and build community while mending clothes.

Slack channels: #mending-skillshare

Next steps to get involved:

• Attend our next Mending Skillshare! Whether you have a mending skill to teach, tools or materials to share, or just want to learn something new, all are welcome! Details posted below as they’re announced. 

Mending Events:

• [In-person] Mend with MAMAS:  Learn to darn, patch, and repair clothing—no experience needed. Bring your own projects to work on or mend clothing for the free store. Masking is required for skillshare events. 
  • Somerville meetup: Sun., June 28th, 1:30-3:30PM at Connexion Church (149 Broadway, Somerville)
  • Medford meetup: Sun., July 12th, 1:30-4:30PM at Hillside Community Church (3 Osgood St., Medford)

Mending Skillshare Meetings:

• [Virtual] Mending Skillshare Planning Meetings: 1st Thursday of the month. The next meeting is on Thurs., July 2nd, 7-8PM. Ask in slack for an invite!

Communications

Comms team takes the lead on the email newsletter, plus posts to instagram and bluesky.

Slack channels:

• #wg-communications
• #communications-requests

Next steps to get involved:

• Create graphics for socials by looking for requests in #communications-requests. If you introduce yourself in #wg-communications, we can tag you when requests come in!
• Review translations of posts, text, and forms in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole so our events and information are accessible to more neighbors!
• Draft or edit the monthly newsletter.
• Keep this page updated!
• Become a coordinator to post to instagram or bluesky, and respond to DMs.

Comms Team Meeting: 

• [Zoom] 3rd Thursday of the month. Next meeting is Thurs. June 18th, 6PM.
• Email askyourmamas@gmail.com (Subject: “Comms help”) or ask in #wg-communications for the link!

Money

Money team tables for MAMAS at events to bring in money, processes reimbursements, and maintains the budget.

Slack channels: #wg-money and #money-in

Next steps to get involved:

• Help spread the word about MAMAS! We’re invited to more events than we can table at. Get to know us, and when events are posted in #money-in, volunteer to share what we do at the event!
• Fund grocery assistance and free store events by contributing via Common Good, our fiscal sponsor! Recurring contributions are incredibly helpful, but every one-time gift helps too. For more information on setting up contributions via Common Good, please see this guide. Ask us in slack if you have any questions!

Money Team meeting: 

• [Virtual] Money team meets biweekly on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30PM. The next meeting is June 24th.  
• Let us know in #wg-money if you want to join!

Tech Team

Tech team administers this website and supports the other working groups’ tech needs. 👾

Slack channels: #wg-tech

Next steps to get involved:

• Help our team build the new MAMAS website! Input from folks who use accessibility tech would be especially useful.
• Attend a co-working session (details below)

Tech Team meeting:

• [Virtual] Tech Team meets on Mondays biweekly for Sync and Co-working sessions. The next meeting is June 22 at 5 PM! Check in #wg-tech or email askyourmamas@gmail.com for the link!

Wellbeing

Slack channels: #wg-wellbeing

Next steps to get involved:

• Coordinators needed to organize monthly meetings where we can brainstorm and practice ways that we can holistically support each other.
• Help organize and restart the MAMAS neighbor walking group! Post in #wg-wellbeing or email askyourmamas@gmail.com if this is something you’re interested in! 
• Build out our resource list for emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing
• Keep an eye out for our next meal prep potluck! These gatherings are a chance MAMAS network members to connect with each other, swap meals, and free up some time from meal planning and cooking.

Parents/Caregivers

On hiatus! This is maintained as a record of what has been done with this working group in the past, but it’s no longer active because there isn’t someone running it. Would you be interested in taking point on it? Reach out to askyourmamas@gmail.com.

Slack channels: #wg-parents-caregivers

Next steps to get involved:

• Become a coordinator, or involved in planning for this working group so we can start it up again! 
• Plan in-person meet-ups and play times so you can get to know your neighbors with kids!
• Foster trust and inter-community reliance on one another for things like childcare and building a more communal way of raising children
• Brainstorm other ways to connect parents and caregivers, build community, pool resources, and more
• Build out our resource list for parents and caregivers

Parents & Caregivers meeting: 

• Virtual meetings and in-person meetups are on hiatus until there’s more bandwidth to organize. You can help with that! Join us on slack. 🙂

Study Group

On hiatus! This is maintained as a record of what has been done with this working group in the past, but it’s no longer active because there isn’t someone running it. Would you be interested in taking point on it? Reach out to askyourmamas@gmail.com.

Slack channels: #study-group

Next steps to get involved:

• We’re in planning mode for future study group sessions and are seeking coordinators who can brainstorm and practice ways for MAMAS to learn and skill-up around mutual aid together. If you’d like to help organize the MAMAS study group, have a topic of interest, or want to say hi, post in #study-group on Slack or email askyourmamas@gmail.com.
• The MAMAS study space is a community to learn, practice, and deepen our commitments to making change together—Check out what we’ve explored so far here!
• Share your ideas on what you’d like to talk about next, or let us know if you’re interested in facilitating, by joining the #study-group channel in slack. 

Study group meetings:

• Help us plan the next meeting, if you’re interested in being a coordinator!