Pod Guide
This page includes some basic information and resource links about pods and pod building, as well as specific information about how TPI is helping contribute to pod development in the Dallas area.
What is a pod?
Pods are a means of developing mutual aid efforts that focus on community organizing. Ideally pods are developed in your neighborhood to respond to specific needs experienced by persons residing or working in your immediate area. Pods have been a concept in organizing for a number of years, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an uptick in attention to local assistance projects. For this reason, many of the pod development resources discuss pods as a response to Covid-19, but they can serve many purposes.
Here are a few resources to learn more about pods:
What area is too small or large?
The concept of pods is generally meant to be a fairly small area: an apartment building, a street or few blocks, a neighborhood. But if you have done the pod mapping exercise, you can see that certain purposes like emotional support may not be limited by geography. So it really depends on the purpose of the pod. Running errands for people who can't get out of the house or minor home repairs may be limited to a few square miles so that it doesn't make too great a demand on the persons offering these assistance.
Remember also, the idea is mutual aid, not charity. Keep in mind that when requesting something of someone, it is some expectation that you can find a way to participate as well. So perhaps if someone requests groceries, they may be able to put some time in for a community garden.
What are some ideas for pods?
So we have mentioned a few ideas, and the resources listed above have some ideas as well. We will list those and more here, but we would love to add your suggestions!
How is TPI helping develop pods?
Great question!
This has been on our minds for a while, and so as a first step, of course, we have created this pod development tool. The tool discussion structure focuses on a few of the large identifiable areas in Dallas to start (see this map), but we certainly hope this expands. We would love it if it expanded significantly.
The General tab has a "brainstorming" area, the Idea-Dump Arena, that is open for discussion of ideas as they move toward defining specific "needs" and "provides." There we can work out what might be an appropriate geographic area and task, and set up a specific discussion forum.
Initially, a regional category was set up is "Dallas Pods" (again, see the map for coverage), but we can add regional categories for Dallas suburbs, Denton, the Mid-Cities, Fort Worth, and other areas as warranted.
The forums will be set up for specific regions, and these can be as general or specific as needed. For instance, a couch surfing or temporary housing pod would need to cover a wide geographic area, but a community garden might be a topic in a very small defined geographic area, like a few blocks. Likewise, a harm reduction pod might operate in a larger area like Oak Lawn. Some pods may start as a single discussion topic, but if they grow and diversify become their own forum.
Topics can be set up for specific pod activities. Right now, people can start their own topics, but we may have to manage these a bit so they don't become too cluttered and difficult to find interests and needs, or too diffuse and empty feeling. The structure will be a work in progress.
But there are ways we can do more to support trans community pods around the area. Want to start a community garden? We can pay for your seeds, possibly more. The larger the effort and ask for funding, the more details we may need to see, but what is appropriate can be discussed. So seeds would definitely be a minimal discussion, but if you need tools and a storage shed and fencing, that is a lot, so we will need to know about your community participation and how you plan to keep it going. Likewise, a sack meals program or certain types of food distribution could be a simple matter, but if you are, say, wanting to do some sort of hot meals for a demographic of the trans and queer community, that would likely entail a much larger planning effort. For something like that, you might want to ask TPI for our project planning template to help you with what to consider.
We also hope to have some training in pod mapping and pod development. We will certainly post in here and on social media when that happens!
What is a pod?
Pods are a means of developing mutual aid efforts that focus on community organizing. Ideally pods are developed in your neighborhood to respond to specific needs experienced by persons residing or working in your immediate area. Pods have been a concept in organizing for a number of years, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an uptick in attention to local assistance projects. For this reason, many of the pod development resources discuss pods as a response to Covid-19, but they can serve many purposes.
Here are a few resources to learn more about pods:
- Create a Mutual Aid Pod in Your Community: this is a very basic guide to pods. It's a good basic one-page intro that is quick to read.
- Mutual Aid 101: this is a short but well written mutual aid guide put together by staff working with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.
- How to Build a Neighborhood Pod: this is a more comprehensive how-to developed by a New York Capital District mutual aid group.
- Pod Mapping for Mutual Aid: Pod mapping is a way of looking at and defining an individual's support network or networks.
What area is too small or large?
The concept of pods is generally meant to be a fairly small area: an apartment building, a street or few blocks, a neighborhood. But if you have done the pod mapping exercise, you can see that certain purposes like emotional support may not be limited by geography. So it really depends on the purpose of the pod. Running errands for people who can't get out of the house or minor home repairs may be limited to a few square miles so that it doesn't make too great a demand on the persons offering these assistance.
Remember also, the idea is mutual aid, not charity. Keep in mind that when requesting something of someone, it is some expectation that you can find a way to participate as well. So perhaps if someone requests groceries, they may be able to put some time in for a community garden.
What are some ideas for pods?
So we have mentioned a few ideas, and the resources listed above have some ideas as well. We will list those and more here, but we would love to add your suggestions!
- Errand running (groceries, prescriptions, other necessities)
- Translation services
- Meal assistance and food delivery
- Community gardens: give positive use to vacant lots
- Pet sitting
- Alternative and traditional healing
- Anti-littering/beautification: not all public spaces are well kept, so cleanup projects can help create more livable neighborhoods
- Medical appointment accompaniment
- Sex worker support (trans and queer focus)
- Harm reduction exchange and supplies
- Couch surfing/short-term housing
- Internet access and tech assistance
- Financial assistance (funds pool)
- Minor home/appliance repair
- Child care
- Skills development and knowledge sharing (could include tutoring)
- Bail funds, court and jail support
- Recreational activities
- Mental health counseling and support
- Pet sitting
- Benefits navigation (peer support)
- Social meetups: not exactly mutual aid (but there are ways it can be); does build community
How is TPI helping develop pods?
Great question!
This has been on our minds for a while, and so as a first step, of course, we have created this pod development tool. The tool discussion structure focuses on a few of the large identifiable areas in Dallas to start (see this map), but we certainly hope this expands. We would love it if it expanded significantly.
The General tab has a "brainstorming" area, the Idea-Dump Arena, that is open for discussion of ideas as they move toward defining specific "needs" and "provides." There we can work out what might be an appropriate geographic area and task, and set up a specific discussion forum.
Initially, a regional category was set up is "Dallas Pods" (again, see the map for coverage), but we can add regional categories for Dallas suburbs, Denton, the Mid-Cities, Fort Worth, and other areas as warranted.
The forums will be set up for specific regions, and these can be as general or specific as needed. For instance, a couch surfing or temporary housing pod would need to cover a wide geographic area, but a community garden might be a topic in a very small defined geographic area, like a few blocks. Likewise, a harm reduction pod might operate in a larger area like Oak Lawn. Some pods may start as a single discussion topic, but if they grow and diversify become their own forum.
Topics can be set up for specific pod activities. Right now, people can start their own topics, but we may have to manage these a bit so they don't become too cluttered and difficult to find interests and needs, or too diffuse and empty feeling. The structure will be a work in progress.
But there are ways we can do more to support trans community pods around the area. Want to start a community garden? We can pay for your seeds, possibly more. The larger the effort and ask for funding, the more details we may need to see, but what is appropriate can be discussed. So seeds would definitely be a minimal discussion, but if you need tools and a storage shed and fencing, that is a lot, so we will need to know about your community participation and how you plan to keep it going. Likewise, a sack meals program or certain types of food distribution could be a simple matter, but if you are, say, wanting to do some sort of hot meals for a demographic of the trans and queer community, that would likely entail a much larger planning effort. For something like that, you might want to ask TPI for our project planning template to help you with what to consider.
We also hope to have some training in pod mapping and pod development. We will certainly post in here and on social media when that happens!