Solidarity Lab, a newly established mutual aid network, will work to unite the Lab community when a member is experiencing a crisis. Members of the Lab community can request assistance by filling out a Google Form.

Meetings are held twice a month on Wednesdays over Zoom.

“One of the challenges at Lab is there are no clear, transparent ways for communication across the groups of students, staff and parents. We know that with the pandemic, there is an epidemic of food insecurity and that people do not want to share that publicly,” Sarah Hoehn, one of the organizers of the network and a Lab parent, said. “We wanted to create a confidential way where people could ask for help if they were really struggling in a crisis.” 

Solidarity Lab seeks to ensure that everyone is treated equally, and it recognizes the importance of providing and receiving mutual aid, she said. 

Betsy Jennett, a nursery school faculty member, was the first recipient of Solidarity Lab. When her husband got into an accident, Solidarity Lab rallied the community to do a meal train for Ms. Jennett twice a week.

Though Solidarity Lab was created in response to COVID-19, the network plans to continue even after the pandemic.

“She [Betsy Jennett] said that it was super super helpful. What she found was not only was it nourishing to get food, but she also said that it nourished her spirit that people were thinking of them and caring for them,” Dr. Hoehn said.