Non-profit group Eastside Mutual Aid's founder Jewan Price hopes to continue work in uplifting the Detroit community

Eastside Mutual Aid founder Jewan Price handing out beverages at an event(Eastside Mutual Aid)

By Ashanti Lee Seabron

(DETROIT) Eastside Mutual Aid, a progressive nonprofit, has been dedicated to helping the Detroit community since its inception, and looks to further their work as time goes on.

Every Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, and every Sunday from 2-5 p.m. at Chandler Park, EMA gives away free items such as clothing, food and books.

EMA's founder, Jewan Price, spoke exclusively with NewsBreak about the group and what it hopes to accomplish in Detroit.

When discussing the group's formation, Price cites his own humble beginnings that transformed into something greater.

"It was more of a collective group effort, one of the things that we really pushed when creating EMA was community," Price said. "We originally started off with a bunch of independent activists passing out clothes at Chandler Park, but then we kind of came together and decided that this is the direction we wanted to move into."

Price also talked about his own hardships in life and how they've shaped his ambitions with EMA.

"I've been homeless multiple times," Price said. "I know what it's like to be disenfranchised and not have people believe in you...I just wanted to give back to my community."

(Eastside Mutual Aid)

In April, EMA held a rally in downtown Detroit's Hart Plaza to protest the removal of the homeless encampment that resided there. During the rally, they were joined by Detroit mayoral candidate Articia Bomer.

(Eastside Mutual Aid)

Price expressed his desire to have the group known as a resource that the entire Detroit community can trust for generations to come.

“Big picture is just to tap into the community and figure out their needs," Price said. "We want to do things from resource centers to clothing drives to fun things and activities for the kids...we want to work for the community and bring the community up.”

With EMA still being a grassroots group, Price feels that it's important to continue to foster a connection with the greater Detroit community.

To learn more about EMA, visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They can also be reached via their email at Eastsidemutualaid@gmail.com.

(Eastside Mutual Aid)

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