Family Soup Mutual Aid started just over a month ago as a leaderless group to help support the unhoused population and others in need in Reno. As of right now, this group is run entirely on donations from the community and has seen great success since starting.
Nicole Anagapesis, 28, moved to Reno in June of 2019 and immediately felt unhoused individuals weren’t being treated well in our city. With the change in weather, Anagapesis and a group of her friends decided it was time to take matters into their own hands and began searching for winter gear to donate to people weekly.
“I think that the whole concept about mutual aid is that if there is need you can try and help out and do everything you can within your own power to try to remedy horrible situations that people are living under,” Anagapesis said. “Especially right now with the aggressive gentrification of Reno that we’re seeing.”
From lack of affordable housing to a decrease in public space, Family Soup Mutual Aid wants to advocate for people who are often left behind.
“We’re doing what local government won’t. Distributing necessities to the community who needs it the most,” Anagapesis said. “This is a community space and we want to keep it that way.”
Sienna Russell, a member of Family Soup Mutual Aid, helped a woman find clothing that fit her from the dwindling pile that had been brought. People were coming up to Family Soup members in the Believe Plaza for an hour before they ran out of food and winter gear.
So far, their Tuesday night distributions have been increasingly attended. Anagapesis said that Family Soup has hopes to increase people’s awareness of the program.
“I recognize them, they don’t always recognize me,” Anagapesis said. “I think what’s important and what we would like to do is have people recognize us and have them know that, yes you’re a part of this community, we care about you.”
Right now the group is small, but mighty. Family Soup totals six consistent members including Anagapesis. But people are always welcome to help through donations or attending the weekly distributions. “I think that anybody who can do, whatever they can do, is doing enough. That’s really where our heads were at when we got together and decided that this is a project that we wanted to work on,” Anagapesis said.
These people were sorting through donations looking for clothing for winter. All the present members of Family Soup said that winter gear and blankets have been the most requested items by unsheltered people.
Family Soup will be collecting clothing donations at the Matador on December 22. Your donation gets you $2 off the cover charge for the 6:30 p.m. show. Distributions take place every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at the Believe Plaza downtown. You can reach out to Family Soup through their Instagram @familysoupmutualaid.