Build a mutual aid hub with Baldwin House

Dear neighbor,

Now, more than ever, folks are looking for a way to build community and create mutual systems of support so that we can survive and thrive together. Baldwin House is committed to driving change in our communities — showing up as an example of what happens when members of a community come together with a shared goal and vision.

In the words of James Baldwin, Baldwin House’s namesake,

“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.”

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This Giving Tuesday, we are launching a new campaign to raise funds to construct our mutual aid hub in the basement of Baldwin House and pay off our acquisition loan.

We invite you to partner with us by becoming a monthly donor to support Baldwin House, which is designed to build community organizing power and create space for community members to feel belonging and care.

If we recruit 25 people to become a monthly donor of $25/month, we will unlock a $5,000 matching gift! Can you become a monthly donor today? Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to your support, in the past 3 years, we have:

• Successfully purchased the building, securing a long-term commitment to affordable housing in one of the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods in the country

• Enabled one tenant to keep their housing and moved one more tenant-steward into their new home

• Built community with our neighbors through sustained political education and community gatherings

• Hosted biweekly outdoor workdays to build the garden of our dreams

• Hosted a bi-weekly mutual aid distribution table in our neighborhood

• Received approval from the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment to operate the mutual aid hub and finalized the design for the Mutual Aid Hub in a participatory and consensus-based design process with community members

• Continued construction on the existing apartments, to be completed in 2026

…and now we need your help to build our mutual aid hub!

Starting a monthly gift with us this Giving Tuesday will help us ensure the financial viability of Baldwin House, ensuring that we can afford renovations of the mutual aid hub space and keep housing truly affordable for tenant stewards so that they may focus on community organizing rather than survival... Can you support Baldwin House this Giving Tuesday by becoming a monthly donor with a gift of $15, $25, or $50?

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Once complete, our Mutual Aid Hub will offer:

• A free store, pantry, and fridge

• An industrial community kitchen

• A multipurpose room for classes, meditations, & informal gatherings

• A community garden

• Community health and wellness programs

• A tool library and maker’s space

• Regular neighborhood celebrations

• …and more

• This Mutual Aid Hub design was created in a participatory and consensus-based design process with community members

Our journey thus far has only been made possible through the constant support of our community. We are immensely grateful for the nearly $2 million we raised through countless small donations and low- or no-interest loans from friends, neighbors, and committed individuals who believe in Baldwin House’s promise. And now, we turn to our community once again to collectively shape a vision of mutual aid and community care in Ward 1 and across DC.

In solidarity,

Baldwin House

P.S. Do you have access to wealth and housing stability? Consider chipping in more monthly to ensure your neighbors have stable housing and self-determination.