The Spirit of Mutual Aid
In Wheeling and around the Ohio Valley, community care doesn’t always come from large institutions or big budget programs. Sometimes, it comes from a neighbor who knows how to fix an alternator, a group text message, or a potluck in a neighbor’s kitchen. This is the spirit behind Ohio Valley Mutual Aid—a growing network of people working together to meet each other’s needs in real time.
Though mutual aid has been around for generations—think “Food Not Bombs” in the 80s, rent parties in the 70s, or even church/community suppers in the depression—it’s gained new traction and vocabulary in recent years. The contrast is with “charity” where the flow of assistance is one way, instead it’s “mutual”. For OV Mutual Aid, the idea is simple but powerful: build a network of trust and responsiveness where people can show up for one another without red tape.
How It Started (And Grew)
OV Mutual Aid started, in part, as a text thread among a handful of neighbors—people like Alex, Libby, Logan, Rachael, Vincent, Amy, and Joe—neighbors looking for ways to help out locally. Meetings soon followed. “I think there was a group chat where I thought, ‘Oh, I could actually come to this meeting because I want to help you guys out,’” Chef, business owner, and OV Mutual Aid organizer Melissa Rebholz shared. “And the reason why I even showed up was because I just wanted to talk about food.”
That interest in food became a first step in what has since grown into OV Mutual Aid’s Community Kitchen. “Sometimes I have food waste—extra stuff when I put meals together. But it’s not enough for a full meal I could list and sell,” she explained. “I was thinking there’s got to be a way to get food to people—like on a neighbor-to-neighbor basis.”
OV Mutual Aid meets biweekly in person, at Clientele Art Studio in East Wheeling. There’s always an agenda, which can include anything from upcoming events to direct needs/asks. “Some people just naturally gravitate toward different projects,” an organizer explained. One such project was the first-ever community kitchen, where neighbors gathered to prepare meals together—either for free, with a small donation, or by contributing an ingredient and/or labor. Recurring community kitchen events are already in the works.
Fast Help, Flexible Support
The nimbleness of mutual aid is part of what makes it so effective. “To me, the concept of mutual aid is more like a case-by-case thing. One person has an urgent need, and we try to meet that,” Rebholz said. “Like, sometimes we can’t help long-term, but we can try to get you out of an emergency.”
It’s also common for members to reach out when someone needs help with rent, utilities, repairs, or even a car jump or flat tire. “We’ve done things like help pay for an emergency shelter or bus tickets,” one member shared. “The idea is: if the emergency is now, the help should be now.”
The group works informally through its chat, website, and email account – ovmutualaid@proton.me. And for those who want to give financially, donations can be made through our fiscal sponsor, Bluejay Rising, a WV-statewide mutual aid network (see link below).
Skills, Trust, and Growing the Circle
Many members give not just money or time, but specialized knowledge—like cooking, organizing, or even car repair. “I don’t have a lot, but I have a skill that a lot of people don’t: I can take someone’s alternator out and put a new one in on the street,” Rebholz said of her boyfriend, who’s also helped out through the network.
Plans are in the works for a “repair café”—a future event where neighbors can bring broken things and connect with people who can fix them—like replacing a window screen or fixing a small appliance. Mutual Aid helps people, saves money, and builds connections.
Another important note is that OV Mutual Aid isn’t just about those already in the loop. The group is thinking intentionally about how to welcome new people—especially those who may not know the network exists.
There’s the public-facing email address where people can ask for help or get involved, and a quieter “Community Exchange” chat created for more sensitive or personal requests. “Some people don’t feel comfortable asking in a big public thread, so the exchange chat lets people ask for what they need without feeling exposed,” Rebholz explained.
Why does mutual aid feel like such a natural fit here?
“In my experience, it’s always people with less giving to other people with less. There’s an empathy here. If you’ve struggled, you recognize when someone else is struggling too. And it doesn’t mean we’re helpless.”
And that, ultimately, may be the quiet revolution of OV Mutual Aid: neighbors who see each other, who know each other’s strengths and needs, and who are willing to build a stronger Valley.
As one organizer put it: “We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. But we want to be there when someone’s world falls apart at 2 a.m.—because maybe that’s the moment community matters the most.”
And that’s the power of a friendly city.
Ohio Valley Mutual Aid’s next FREE event is April 30th at the Ohio Public Library. It’s a clothing swap and a free gender affirming closet for folks to trade in some gently used clothing or just come pick up something they need. It will be held in the auditorium from 4pm–7:30pm.
Donate to OV Mutual Aid at: secure.actblue.com/donate/ohio-valley
