Mutual Aid Network

Request and offer boards, a coordinator dispatch, a resource directory and private case channels for a mutual aid group.

8 categories
34 channels
12 roles
Medium

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Server structure

Channels

WELCOME

welcome-and-how-it-works
What the network does, how to ask for help and how to give it. Start with #network-guidelines.
network-guidelines
Never share someone's details outside private cases. Never accept money for help. Say when you cannot do something.
network-updates
Network-wide updates from the coordinators: new drives, changed hours, urgent appeals.
become-a-volunteer
Fill in the volunteer form: availability, skills, a reference. A coordinator will be in touch.

REQUESTS

request-help60s slowmode
Ask for help here or open a private ticket. Say what, where roughly, and by when. No addresses in public.
requests-board
One thread per request, created by a coordinator. Claim by replying; the coordinator updates the tag.
urgent-requests
Same-day needs. Coordinators only post here; volunteers reply on the board thread.
request-followups
Did it happen, did it help, does the person need anything else.

OFFERS

offer-help
What you can do and when. Coordinators turn offers into board threads.
offers-board
Standing offers: a weekly shop run, a spare car seat, Tuesday afternoons free.
availability-this-week
Volunteers post which days and hours they are free this week.
supplies-we-have
Stock on hand: nappies, tinned food, blankets, a spare fridge. Update when it moves.

COORDINATION

dispatch
Coordinators pair requests with volunteers. Mention the skill role you need; claim by replying.
deliveries-and-drivers
Drivers coordinate routes and pick-ups. Times and areas, not addresses.
translation-requests
Language help needed for a call, a letter or an appointment. Mention Translator.
check-in-calls
The weekly call rota for people who asked for one. Note done or missed, nothing more here.
volunteer-lounge
Volunteers only. Decompress, share what worked, look after each other.

RESOURCES

resource-directory
The master list: every service we refer people to, with hours and a contact.
food-banks-and-pantries
Food banks, community fridges and pantries: where, when, whether a referral is needed.
housing-and-benefits
Housing advice, emergency accommodation, benefit applications and who helps with forms.
legal-and-immigration-help
Free legal clinics, immigration advice services and what to bring to an appointment.
mental-health-resources
Crisis lines, drop-ins, peer support groups and low-cost counselling.

FUNDS AND SUPPLIES

donations-and-fundraising
Where the money comes from and where it goes. Coordinators post the monthly summary.
supply-drives
Current drives: what we are collecting, where to drop it, until when.
expense-reimbursementsHidden from @everyone
Volunteers post receipts for petrol and shopping done on behalf of the network.

PRIVATE CASES

private-cases
One thread per person being supported. Names and details live here and nowhere else.
case-notes
What was done, what was said, what to watch for. Facts, dated, no speculation.
safeguardingHidden from @everyone
Anything involving a child, an adult at risk or a disclosure. Coordinator Lead and admins only.
coordinator-roomHidden from @everyone
Coordinators and dispatchers: the rota, volunteer approvals, who needs a break.
network-logsHidden from @everyone
Vetox posts join, message and moderation logs here.

VOICE

Dispatch Line
Volunteer Hangout
Community Call
AFK

Roles

Coordinator LeadAdministrator
AdminAdministrator
CoordinatorModerator
DispatcherModerator
Verified Volunteer
Community Member
Driver
Translator
Cook
Tech Help
Muted

Overview

A server for a mutual aid group covering a town, a district or a few estates, run by a coordinator lead and a rota of coordinators. It is built so that a request for help never sits unanswered and a vulnerable person's details never sit in a public channel. REQUESTS holds #request-help, a slowmoded intake channel, a #requests-board forum where each request is a thread tagged open, claimed, done or urgent, and #urgent-requests, which only coordinators post to. OFFERS mirrors it: #offer-help, an #offers-board, #availability-this-week and #supplies-we-have. COORDINATION is visible only to Verified Volunteers and coordinators: #dispatch is where a coordinator pairs a request with a volunteer, #deliveries-and-drivers and #translation-requests route the two most common needs, and #check-in-calls tracks the people who get a weekly call. RESOURCES is a read-only directory (#food-banks-and-pantries, #housing-and-benefits, #legal-and-immigration-help, #mental-health-resources) maintained by coordinators. FUNDS AND SUPPLIES covers donations, supply drives and reimbursements. PRIVATE CASES is hidden from everyone but coordinators: #private-cases, #case-notes and #safeguarding, which is where anything involving a child or a person at risk goes. Skill roles (Driver, Translator, Cook, Tech Help) are mentionable so dispatch can reach the right volunteers in one message.

When to use it

Requests come in by phone, message and a shared inbox, three volunteers turn up for the same delivery while another request waits two days, and someone's medical details were posted in the group chat by accident. This layout gives requests and offers structured boards, moves matching into a coordinators' dispatch channel, keeps a resource directory that stays current, and puts every sensitive case behind a hidden category.

What makes it different

Requests and offers are forum boards with open, claimed, done and urgent tags, so nothing is answered twice or never.
Dispatch and the volunteer channels are visible only to Verified Volunteers and coordinators.
Private cases, case notes and safeguarding are hidden from everyone but coordinators.
The resource directory is read-only and maintained by coordinators, so it stays accurate.
Driver, Translator, Cook and Tech Help are mentionable roles that dispatch reaches in one message.

Recommended Vetox setup

Applications
Take volunteer sign-ups in #become-a-volunteer with a form covering availability, skills and a reference, and grant Verified Volunteer from #coordinator-room.
Tickets
Put a Tickets panel in #request-help so a person who does not want their situation public can open a private request that lands with a coordinator.
Self-Roles
Post a Self-Roles panel for Driver, Translator, Cook and Tech Help so volunteers mark what they can do the day they join.
Reminders
Schedule a Reminder in #availability-this-week every Sunday evening asking volunteers to post their week.
Logs
Send message and member logs to #network-logs so coordinators can see who edited or deleted a request.

Questions

How does a request get matched to a volunteer?

It arrives in #request-help or as a private ticket. A coordinator creates a thread in #requests-board tagged Open, then posts in #dispatch mentioning the skill role it needs. The volunteer who claims it replies, the coordinator tags the thread Claimed, and Done when it is finished.

What goes in private cases versus the requests board?

The board holds the task: a shopping run to a street, a lift to a clinic. Private cases holds the person: name, address, health details, anything a stranger should not read. Only coordinators can see it, and safeguarding concerns get their own channel.

Can people who need help join the server?

Yes, as Community Members. They can read the resource directory, post in #request-help and open a ticket. They do not see dispatch or the volunteer channels, which keeps other people's requests out of their view.

Common mistakes

Handling everything in one requests channel until a request scrolls out of view and nobody realises it was never claimed.
Discussing a person's circumstances in the volunteer channels; anything identifying belongs in the hidden private cases category.

Consider instead

Neighbourhood Community Mutual aid is one part of a general neighbourhood server rather than the whole purpose.

Do you have any doubts?

Our team is there for you

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