Pick up a copy of the November issue from: Iowa City Public Library, Kitty Corner Social Club, FilmScene Chauncey, New Pioneer Co-op, Kindred Coffee. Want to see it in other places? Download the file, print your own copies, and distribute!
In this issue:
- Corn, Capitalism, & Cancer: Iowa's agriculture problem
- The City's Top Secret plan to combat ICE
- A reminder that we're holding community meals every Monday and Friday in the month of November
- And as always, Autonomy Iowa City
Also, we want to hear from YOU! Write in and answer the question: What does a world without prisons look like?
A community member needs help with rent and utilities while searching for a job! Goal: $900; Venmo: @Maevearoni
Our dearest Maeve has been putting in so much work to make these November community meals happen, we couldn't do it without her! Please throw some $ her way while she navigates unemployment <3
A family is in urgent need of rent assistance! Goal: $1,600. Venmo: @JHatcher7414
While the government shutdown puts more pressure on families who rely on food assistance, regular bills just keep coming. Capitalism doesn't stop just because Republicans and Democrats are fighting — in fact, capitalism is one of the things every politician agrees on. We deserve better than an economic system that keeps poor people down while the richest in the world continue to line their pockets. We deserve an economy based on mutual care and respect for one another, where everyone's needs are met and nobody benefits from the exploitation of others. Donate and share if you are able!
Join us to be fed and feed our community! We need you to show up with food, eat food, and be together right now! Please use the sign up form to help us keep track of how much food we will have.
Community Meal Dates and Locations:
- Fridays, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28 | 6-8 p.m. @ Wright House of Fashion (910 S. Gilbert St.)
- Mondays, Nov. 10, 17, 24 | 6-8 p.m. @ Willow Creek Park
In the case of inclement weather (i.e. rain), servings will be in the Iowa City Community Fridge @ 910 S. Gilbert St.
You know the drill, donate if you can and share! We can build a world where nobody needs a paycheck to secure housing, healthcare or any other survival need. It's going to take hard work, dedication and all of us working together. Collectively, we have the potential to overpower the capitalist class... we just have to build it.
A community member needs help covering rent after getting out of the hospital and losing a job. Cash App: $citrus0707. Goal: $800
ART and WRITING SUBMISSIONS NEEDED!
by icma on 2025-10-17
IC Mutual Aid Monthly art and writings needed!
Send us your anti-capitalist writings and art (or abolitionist, communist, anarchist, maoist, etc). Send submissions to admin@icmutualaid.org with the subject line "Newsletter Submission".
We are in need of articles and artwork so that our newsletter can be a more decentralized publication and to make it easier on the designers every month! We work tirelessly on top of full time jobs to continue our efforts in the community. Worried your work doesn't fit the scope of our newsletter? No worries, send it in and we will let you know and help workshop!
Our October newsletter is out! Find in it:
- There Is No Housing Crisis. It's a tenants rights crisis, and we can do something about it
- The Wonderful Walnut. A practical guide to one of Iowa's prolific edible offerings
and some important ads including...
- ICCF Naloxone Training
- Community Submissions to the prompt "What does a world without prisons look like"
- as always, Autonomy Iowa City
Pick up a physical copy from: Iowa City Public Library, Kitty Corner Social Club, FilmScene Chauncey, Prairie Lights Cafe, Kindred Coffee, New Pioneer Food Co-op
Some updates regarding ICMA... We are starting to prepare for providing heat to our neighbors living outside this winter. This will be the most financially stressful thing we do and we need our supporters to help us out! Please consider donating one time or if you can set up a monthly donation.
We are also looking for anti-capitalist and abolitionist writings and art that we can have on hand to continue our newsletter. It is hard to find the time to always be writing and providing on the ground support to our most vulnerable community members, all while we have our own full time jobs. If you feel up to it please email us a submission for the newsletter so that we can continue this vital work of educating the public.
RENT AID
by icma on 2025-10-10
RENT AID!! A community member needs help paying rent to avoid eviction. Goal $100. Cashapp $rubycondee.
Every day people are exploited and abused by landlords, their housing used as a tool to make more money, to profit. We have plenty of housing for everyone. Capitalism thrives off of the profit of our survival needs. We MUST build better systems to sustain us. Help out if you can! Join the fight.
This morning ICE forcibly abducted a worker from Bread Garden, refusing to identity themselves and wearing plain clothes. Stay vigilant in case they decide to strike again in the Iowa City area. DON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS. If you are not at risk and you see an abduction taking place, GET IN THE WAY. Demand the agents identify themselves. If you are concerned for your safety, avoid the downtown area if possible.
Apologies that the newsletter is so late this month. The week of September 8th was incredibly busy for us working on multiple different mutual aid projects, including court watching in Polk County for three days and helping our unhoused neighbors as they were being evicted from their living place outside of Shelter House.
We were determined to at least get an issue out before the end of the month! Enjoy!
In this issue:
- NOWHERE TO GO - An account of the recent eviction at Shelter House
- EYES ON THE PRIZE - Building a world free of police and prisons requires focus on the ultimate goal
- Poetry
- Artwork by @softpunk
- and as always... Autonomy Iowa City
If anyone is interested in submitting anti-capitalist or abolitionist artwork or writings we are always taking submissions!!
In solidarity, ICMA
Big thanks to Fin & Feather for donating extra supplies from their last gear swap! This past Sunday we were able to drop off boots, inflatable matresses and other camping gear along with ~300 lbs of food to folks living outside.
With help from Fin & Feather and the CommUnity Food Bank we've been able to do food and gear distribution for very little cost, but as the weather cools down and we're thinking ahead to winter, we'll definitely need donations to keep people warm. Donate and specify "camp aid" to help out <3
A little late this month just because things are busy!!
We continue to make weekly runs of food and water to the encampment to help keep them fed and hydrated. The garden is still producing loads of produce! Queer incarcerated folks continue to reach out to get connected to us on the outside. As always, let us know if you wanna get involved!
August Newsletter includes:
One of our ongoing projects is the Iowa Queer Prisoner Correspondance Program (IQPCP), which you can read about on our projects page.
An active member if IQPCP is transitioning out of prison and is in need of necessary items and aid. Donate and pick "IQPCP" from the dropdown.
The prison industrial complex is a violent state entity that has no place in our community or world. Built on racism, classism, and colonialism, the carceral system harms individuals every day. Upon release you leave mostly with nothing, sometimes made to be homeless, jobless, and sent out into a world that may be completely new and unknown. Having your needs met upon release can drastically make a difference and make the transition much easier. Help out if you can! Fire to all prisons.
The July issue is here and it's twice as long! In this issue:
- Torture: a look inside solitary confinement
- Heat stroke will not kill your landlord
- Double the poetry: Introducing B.C. The Black Clown
- An anarchist answers
- Rod Sullivan's quest to cage children
- "Burn" by Jenny Wren, 2025
Read the issue here, or pick up a physical copy at the Iowa City Public Library, Prairie Lights Cafe, Kitty Corner Social Club, FilmScene Chauncy, or Kindred Coffee. Download the file, print your own copies, and distribute it far and wide!
Pascual Pedro Pedro of West Liberty was deported to Guatemala on July 7th with no lawyer and no due process, just 5 days after he was detained by ICE at a routine immigration check-in. It is clear that the rule of "law" and the concept of "due process" mean nothing. ICE is a vicious arm of the state hell-bent on terrorizing us and destroying the fabric of our communities. We must do more than simply fundraise and hold vigils after one of our own has been kidnapped - we must get organized to respond rapidly and preemptively. We must work together to keep our communities intact and kick ICE and their collaborators the fuck out.
We're debuting this month's newsletter at Pokey's Fest this weekend! Get to the gig at Wright House of Fashion tonight, 6/13, or come rock tomorrow. They'll be out at the usual places after the fest.
In this issue:
- Iowa bans Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care: what can we do?
- Sheriff Brad Kunkle wants to sell you a bigger jail: don't buy it!
- No cops at pride, no pride in genocide. Free Palestine!
And as always:
Dropped a few bags of cherries to the ic community fridge today, 6/13.
Have you heard? The IC Community Fridge is open! The food is always free, and the fridge is open 24/7 on the North side of Wright House of Fashion, 910 S. Gilbert St. The nearest bus stop is 7010 on Iowa City bus routes 1 and 13. Take what you need, leave what you can!
The ICMA community garden is also well underway, and we've already made one dropoff of rhubarb at the fridge. Right now we're growing potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, herbs, peppers, okra, onions, green onions, and the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash). Follow us on instagram for more garden updates throughout the season. If you'd like to volunteer to help in the garden (weeding, watering, harvesting, and planting), sign up here.
Better late than never, right? May's Mutual Aid Monthly is here. Inside:
- Reject petit bourgeois radicalism
- Three collages by Ben Minniear (@benminniearart)
- Poetry from prison
- The community fridge is open!
- And submit for a new advice column: Ask an Anarchist
Read the issue here. As always, you can pick up a physical copy at: ICPL, Kindred Coffee, Kitty Corner Social Club, FilmScene Chauncey, New Pioneer Co-op, and Prairie Lights Cafe.
Donate via cashapp: $ClyburnSuzanna
A community member needs help with survival needs and getting a used car to secure employment. Goal is $3,900. Donate via venmo @absentminded-professor-8.
5 international students at the University of Iowa have had their visas revoked. Help support their emergent needs by donating and specifying the funds for "COGS."
It is newsletter time!! This month is quite text heavy, lots of stuff to write about and not enough space!! Pick up a copy at PS1 Close House, FilmScene Chauncy, ICPL, Kitty Corner Social Club, Prairie Lights Cafe, New Pi Co-op, or Kindred Coffee. Read the issue here.
In this issue:
- Paying the Price: The futility of feudalism
- "General strike is now": Tips from an amateur organizer
- Poetry by Bobby Messier (aka Paws)
- Tax tables - information about changes in Iowa taxes that benefit high earners and not everyday working people
- As always Autonomy Iowa City - Supporting bodily autonomy right here in Iowa
- Plus: A coloring page by @softpunkk on instagram.
If you want to contribute art, writing, or something out-of-the-box, send it in to admin@icmutualaid.org.
We'll have a table at ICE CREAM (11-5 @ PS1 Close House) with pay-what-you-can art wares & fresh copies of the April newsletter. All proceeds from the table support ICMA. See you then!
Get involved with ICMA! Volunteer to court watch or help out with our community garden.
Our community garden furthers our efforts to meet people’s needs. Access to food, specifically produce, is often a luxury when it should be guaranteed. Our government continues to oppress people through restricted access to food. Volunteering to help out with the garden will involve planting, weeding, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, curing, and seed saving. If you do not know how to grow and process food this is a space to learn with your community! Learning these skills will help us feed our community on our own. Once the food is harvested and cleaned it will be given away for free to those who need it and have limited access to produce! Sign up here.
Court watching is when people from the public sit in courtrooms to observe what happens: bail hearings, arraignments, pleas, trials, and just the everyday court appearances that constitute the delay and violence of criminal court. Sometimes this looks like formal monitoring programs, composed of volunteers or organizational staff who sit in courtrooms regularly to document what happens and report to the public the results of their observations. And sometimes this looks like family, friends, and supporters filling courtrooms (often called “packing the court”) in support of a loved one who is being prosecuted. (from beyondcourts.org). Sign up here.
See you soon!
We have a new payment method with Zeffy, which, unlike PayPal, doesn't take fees from us. Plus, we can now accept recurring donations, which will be vital in sustaining our work. Set up a monthly donation — even just $5 — today!
Sorry we're a little late with this issue, the department of corrections makes communication hard! Pick up a physical copy at ICPL, Prairie Lights, Kitty Corner Social Club, or Film Scene Chauncey!
In this issue:
- Do it yourself — This is how we can survive this
- Capitalism Kills — The subversive punishments of the capitalist cash-cow
- Poetry
- And as always, Autonomy Iowa City — Supporting bodily autonomy right here in Iowa
Plus, a special insert this month (don't get used to it) on:
- Surveillance — Fuck that!
- Big University is watching you
Read the issue here, and sign up for our mailing list
Sunday, March 23rd | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm | In person, in Iowa City (Location will be announced to registrants via email before the event) KN95 masks required to attend.
Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide informational, emotional, and physical support to people going through a significant health related experience such as childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, infant loss, reproductive care, and non-reproductive experiences such as dying and gender transition. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn the skills necessary to provide abortion doula support in an era where reproductive rights are limited. This workshop will be facilitated by experienced doulas and medical professionals.
Register here. Registration will be capped at 50.
We've been fielding requests for rent assistance, but we need funds to support that.
The below resources provide rent assistance to people in Iowa City but are limited by regulations and requirements that exclude people who need help.
ICMA exists to provide support to people who need it with no barriers to access. Please donate and share our donation information with people you know!
A couple of ICMA members will have a table with zines, art, and other miscellaneous wares at the Iowa City Flea on Sunday, Februrary 23. Event runs from 1-5 p.m. at The Englert (221 E Washington). Items will be free or pay what you can, with all proceeds going to ICMA. See you there!
Check out this month's IC Mutual Aid Monthly here. Want a copy sent to your inbox? Sign up here.
Pick up a physical copy from the Iowa City Public Library, Kindred Coffee, Prairie Lights Cafe, Kitty Corner Social Club, or FilmScene at The Chauncey.
A winter storm has hit and it's cold out there for folks living outside. Since last year, there's been an increase of people living outside and in cars. It costs $25 dollars to refill a 20 gallon propane tank which on cold nights can dwindle quickly. Donate if you can! (and put "camp aid" as the description on paypal)
Check out the first issue of Iowa City Mutual Aid Monthly here! Pick up a physical copy from the Iowa City Public Library, Kindred Coffee, Prairie Lights Cafe, or FilmScene at The Chauncey.
Sign up for our mailing list here.
Join us TODAY (1/11) AT 4 P.M. at PS1 Cloud House (538 S. Gilbert, next to the mansion) for a screening of Under the Bridge: The Criminalization of Homelessness. Following the movie we'll have an informal discussion while we assemble winter kits for our homeless neighbors. The event is free.
Bring a cash donation to help with supplies if you can.
Masks are provided and required. We will also have HEPA air purifiers.