Mutual Aid Partners: Fostering Community Unity and Direct Assistance in Grand Junction

Mutual Aid Partners (MAP) is a dynamic nonprofit committed to strengthening the social fabric of Grand Junction, Colorado by building sustainable, community-centered support networks.

With a mission rooted in creative collaboration, dignity, and accessibility, MAP empowers local residents by providing not just essential resources, but also a space where everyone can belong, participate, and thrive.​

MAP works to create lasting, cooperative change by working closely with other community partners and social service agencies. Their approach is centered on accessibility and cultural responsiveness, ensuring that support is delivered in a dignity-centered way. This collaborative ethic means MAP’s impact goes beyond its own programs—it maximizes outreach and shared strengths to serve a diverse array of community members.​

Key Activities and Ongoing Projects

MAP Weekly Distro (Every Tuesday, Downtown Grand Junction):

• MAP volunteers transform a central downtown space into a vibrant “DISTRO”: a farmer’s market-style event focused on choice-based, free food distribution.
• Community members access fresh produce, frozen meats, shelf-stable groceries, and rescued food, all delivered in a welcoming, choose-what-you-need format.
• Essential goods include hygiene products, period products, sack lunches, and hot beverages.
• Local pets are cared for too, through free dog and cat vaccinations from Barkley’s Hope, and donated food from CO Pet Pantry and Roice-Hurst Humane Society.
• Resource navigation and advocacy partners are present weekly, offering support with health and human services referrals, application assistance, harm reduction, pediatric and family health, and more.
• Volunteers needed weekly (about 30 per event)
• Special events and rotating partners announced regularly on MAP’s Facebook page and Instagram

Rotating and Seasonal Events:

• Partnerships with 211 Western Colorado, Western Colorado Health Network, Grand Valley Connects, Mesa County Public Health, and Veteran Affairs HUD-VASH.
• Specialized outreach for tax credits, voter registration, and energy assistance (LEAP) during designated seasons.

Cooperative Partnerships:

• MAP’s mission is amplified by deep partnerships: the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley provided an initial home, transforming a parking lot into a thriving resource center for 3.5 years, modeling what creative support can look like in action.​

Through its weekly Distro and extensive community collaboration, MAP serves hundreds of individuals and families facing food insecurity, housing instability, and barriers to healthcare in Western Colorado. Their services not only address urgent needs but also build community resilience, trust, and empowerment for lasting social change.​

Mutual Aid Partners succeeds through the active involvement and generosity of the Western Slope community. Supporting MAP means:

• Directly helping to alleviate food insecurity and resource gaps among your neighbors
• Strengthening ties across diverse communities through service and solidarity
• Sustaining bold, people-powered solutions that model the future of grassroots community care

You can support Mutual Aid Partners by:

• Volunteering at a weekly distro event or assisting with outreach programs
• Donating resources or funds to help expand choice-based giving and specialized assistance
• Sharing MAP’s story and mission with your networks to grow the circle of community care

Visit mutualaidpartners.org to learn more, sign up for volunteer opportunities, or make a direct donation to support MAP’s year-round work in Grand Junction and the Western Slope.