We’re getting ready for the next one

As logistics specialists, we’re experts in the unsexy. Finding the most cost-effective way to transport pallets of diapers and wheelchairs from Port A to Warehouse B involves lots of spreadsheets, customs forms, and other paperwork—not exactly the stuff Hollywood movies are made of. 

And of the unsexiest ways we apply our expertise, “pre-positioning disaster relief” might be at the top of the list. But when Hurricane Helene hit the East Coast of the US in 2024 (or when wildfires ripped through Los Angeles in 2025), the importance of this not-at-all glamorous work became obvious. 

Most humans don’t like thinking about natural disasters, for obvious reasons. We never have and we probably never will. But they’re happening at an increasingly frequent rate almost everywhere in the world. The pattern is only deniable until your own house is underwater or engulfed in flames.

That’s why Distribute Aid is securing warehouse spaces (and stocking them with supplies) in more areas than ever. We want to be ready to deliver help as soon as it’s needed.

To do that, we need someone to receive that help and share it with people in need. Which is where you can come in.

Protecting your community before disaster hits

Regardless of where you live, the likelihood of your government being ready to respond to a flood, wildfire, or other catastrophe is lower than it was even a few years ago. 

Grassroots community groups should not—we really can’t stress this enough—have to shoulder the responsibility for ensuring that people have life-saving essentials when disasters strike. But the truth is that relief from the state might come late, or not at all. 

Longtime readers of this newsletter may remember our previous plugs for Mutual Aid Hub, a tool that helps US residents find a mutual aid group near their location. Other useful resources include:

• US: this Mutual Aid Disaster Relief (MADR) list features groups focused specifically on (you guessed it) disaster relief.

  • MADR is a Distribute Aid partner with a great resource list covering everything from instructions for building compost toilets to legal & security toolkits. 

• United Kingdom: here’s a useful map of local groups. 

• Europe: a good place to start is the European Solidarity Corps list of organizations or the Migration Policy Centre’s repository of refugee-led groups. 

The first step to being prepared is “checking if a group already exists near you”—the strength of a mutual aid group comes from its numbers, and one big group can be more effective than several small ones.  

What should you do if there’s not? Start by talking to your neighbors, colleagues, and friends. You can structure your conversation by using one of the many guides made by experienced organizers for setting up mutual aid groups. 

Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you want to partner on response planning or pre-positioning supplies in your area. And if you’re able to help fund our work, your support will be greatly appreciated.

Quick hits

Here are a few more things you might find interesting:

• On March 15, we’re doing another fundraiser to send aid to Palestine! This one will be a Battle of the Bands at Bandido’s Burrito Lounge in Richmond, VA (event details here). 

  • Distribute Aid will be matching all donations up to $3,500—so if you’d like to support our work in the Levant but can’t make the show, donating via this link will go 2x as far to help displaced Palestinians.

• Our co-founder Taylor Fairbank was just featured in a WIRED article on how to organize safety in the age of surveillance. The whole piece is great, but especially Taylor’s message of hope at the end. 

• Recycling glass bottles and aluminum cans can be legitimately helpful for the environment. But for decades, Big Oil has been lying about what happens when you recycle plastic.

• Speaking of WIRED (and also, corporations lying about saving the planet), here’s their piece on a new report that found 75% of Big Tech's claims that AI will benefit the climate contain zero evidence.

• Since the LA wildfires last year, Community Solidarity Project (CSP) has been one of our most valuable and impactful local “hub” partners. But they’ve just lost their warehouse space.

  • If you know of a space in Central LA that can fit 20 pallets, please get in touch with them at [email protected]—or just reply to this newsletter and we’ll be happy to connect you.