Community Economies
We relocalize the economy by investing in worker cooperation and local resource exchanges.
At its root, the word “economy” doesn’t translate to money or markets, but rather - how we manage home (source: Movement Generation). As we reimagine the extractive economy, we move away from a mismanagement of home that has exploited people’s labor and over-extracted from the natural environment that sustains all life. We move toward a community economy – one that centers care, cooperation and ecological restoration. This practice is alive and well in Northeast LA; from mutual aid and community gardens to intergenerational households and neighbors, our communities regularly share resources like food, housing and childcare. Our Community Economies program builds and sustains these networks of care through worker co-op development, non-monetary resource exchanges, and a local vendor ecosystem.
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Facilitating worker co-op transitions for mutual aid collaboratives through capacity-building trainings and collective investments.
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Hosting non-monetary, non-extractive exchanges of resources, skills, and goods among neighbors.
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Building an ecosystem of local vendors to celebrate their talents, support their livelihoods, and nourish our communities. Our growing list of local vendors can be found in our Community Directory.
Impact
Mutual aid collaboratives transition to a model that honors their labor and sustains their ability to serve their community;
Increased knowledge and use of regenerative economy practices such as participatory budgeting and collective decision-making;
Local needs of working-class communities of color are met through both non-monetary exchanges as well as an ecosystem of local vendors and co-ops;
Creation of a self-sustaining local economy in Northeast LA.
