Who can participate​

⚠ Keep It Local:  This group is for people living in or primarily residing in the city of Austin and surrounding areas. Resources shared should be relevant to the local Austin community.​​​​​​

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Where to post

Submit resources directly to the Austin Mutual Aid Facebook Group. Check the pinned posts before submitting — your resource may already be listed.

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What counts as a resource

Resources are any practical, accessible form of support available in the Austin area. Examples include:

• Food assistance, free pantries, or meal programs

• Emergency financial aid or bill-pay help

• Housing, shelter, or camp support information

• Health, harm reduction, or hygiene supplies (including Narcan and fentanyl test kits)

• Social services navigation or ID assistance

• Laundry, clothing, or basic needs programs

• Volunteer opportunities or mutual aid offers

 

Personal fundraisers and cash requests​

​📅 Day restriction:  Cash, gift card, or order requests and personal fundraisers may only be posted on Mondays and Fridays. Posts of this type on other days will be removed.​​​​​

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• Include your payment information (Cash App, Venmo, PayPal handle, etc.) in the post

• Update your post when your need has been funded

• To signal boost your post, do so in the comments only — once per day maximum

• Orders and deliveries can only be sent directly to the beneficiary

 

Include your location

Share the nearest crossroads and/or your zip code so the right comrades can respond. For your safety, do not include your full home address in any post.

How to write a post

The following formatting expectations apply to all posts in the group:

• Post anonymously only if you are hiding from an abuser — if so, state “posting anonymously for safety” at the top of your post

• No anonymous comments under any circumstances

• If you are asking for delivery, include your general area

• If asking for diapers or clothing, include the size needed

• Do not include photos of your children, your address, or your phone number in posts

• Posts may only be edited to say “resolved” — no other edits are permitted

• One post per household per day

• Include your cash handle (Cash App, Venmo, etc.) if your post involves a money request

• Only use supportive emojis

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Suggested format for resource posts

When sharing a resource with the community, this structure helps comrades find and use it quickly:

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[Resource type] — [Short name or org]

What: Brief description of what’s offered

Who: Who can access it

Where: Nearest crossroads and/or zip code

When: Hours or availability

Contact: Phone, email, or link

Last verified: Month and year

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Conduct standards

All participants are expected to follow these conduct standards, as outlined in the group’s admin rules:

• Treat everyone with respect — kindness is required, not optional

• Predatory behavior, bullying, hate speech, or degrading comments about race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, class, or identity will not be tolerated and should be reported immediately

• Only comment if you can help directly — only give advice or resources if asked

• Do not comment anonymously

• Use supportive emojis only — no angry or laughing emojis

• No doxxing of any kind

• No self-promotion, spam, or irrelevant links — no referrals

• Do not DM or send Cash App/Venmo/PayPal requests to members without their permission — members contacted non-consensually can report this to any admin

• Do not block admins or moderators — doing so will result in removal from the group

• Do not delete past posts — this undermines trust and may result in your account being muted or participation blocked. If you need to delete a post for safety reasons, contact an admin first

• Please have a recent photo of yourself on your Facebook profile, or message one to an admin

 

Category tags to include

Add one or more of the following tags at the top of your post so comrades can scan quickly:

• Food

• Housing

• Health & Harm Reduction

• Financial Aid

• Clothing & Supplies

• ID & Social Services

• Volunteer

• URGENT — for time-sensitive needs only

Category tags to include

At present, resource posts in the Austin Mutual Aid Facebook group are primarily submitted by moderators and staff, who verify accuracy before posting. As the group moves toward community-contributed resources, the following guidelines are proposed to support that process. These steps are intended as a framework and will be reviewed and adjusted by AMA moderators as needed.

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Recommended steps before submitting a resource

Before posting a resource, contributors are encouraged to confirm the following:

• Contact the organization directly — by phone or email — to confirm current hours and availability

• Check the organization’s official website or social media for recent updates

• If you have personally used the resource, note when and what you experienced

• If you cannot fully verify the resource, note this clearly in your post and invite comrades to help confirm

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What moderators will look for

When reviewing community-submitted resource posts, moderators will assess whether the post includes sufficient evidence of verification, such as:

• A direct contact, link, or address for the resource

• A “last verified” date indicating when the information was confirmed

• Specific details (hours, eligibility, location) consistent with what the organization currently offers

Moderators may follow up with the submitter if a post lacks sufficient verification detail before approving it.

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Keeping resources current

• Always include a “last verified” date in your post

• If you see a post that appears outdated, comment with updated information or flag it to a moderator

• If a resource you posted has changed, update or remove your post rather than leaving inaccurate information

How posts are reviewed

All community posts in the Austin Mutual Aid Facebook group go through moderator approval before they are visible to other members. Moderators and group owners may post immediately. This review process helps ensure that posts meet the group’s standards for accuracy, tone, and formatting before reaching the community.

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The approval process

• A community member submits a post to the group

• Facebook holds the post pending moderator review

• A moderator checks the post against the group’s rules — including formatting, conduct standards, verification, and day-specific rules

• The post is approved and published, or returned to the member with feedback on what needs to be corrected

• Once corrections are made, the member may resubmit for re-review

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What moderators check for

• Sufficient verification detail — contact info, location, last verified date

• Language and tone consistent with AMA’s values of solidarity and respect

• Compliance with day-specific rules (e.g. cash requests on Mondays and Fridays only)

• Location included as crossroads or zip code — not a full address

• No spam, self-promotion, fraud, or duplicate posts

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Violations and removal​

⚠ Important:  By joining the group, all members automatically accept these rules. Participation is a privilege, not a right. Violations may result in your participation being paused, blocked, or removed at any time.

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The following may result in immediate removal:

• Repeated rule violations reported by fellow members

• Attempts to spam or commit fraud

• Refusal to acknowledge reports of harm caused by you or your organization

Removal may occur with or without prior notice.

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Reporting a problem post or member

If you see a post or comment that is harmful, inaccurate, or violates group rules — including hate speech, bullying, or predatory behavior — report it immediately using Facebook’s “Report to admins” option or tag a moderator in the comments. Do not engage in public conflict; moderators will address it.

If a member has DM’d you or sent an unsolicited payment request, you can report those messages directly to any admin.

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Contact the moderators

For questions about group policies or the status of your post, reach out through the group’s admin messaging feature or contact the team directly:

• General inquiries: info@austinmutualaid.org

• Tech & website questions: tech@austinmutualaid.org