our visionmanos entrelazadas south side alliance (mesa) is a washington park-based mutual aid group that aims to challenge the narrative that pits lifelong chicagoans against newly arrived immigrants by working to build a city strong and resilient enough to care for all who call it home.
free store
La Tiendita free store provides people with free clothing, diapers, toiletries, furniture, toys, and more. Open Mondays 4 - 6 pm, Saturdays 10 am - 1 pm at 5627 S Michigan Ave (a few blocks from the Green Line Garfield station). Volunteers are always needed to sort donations, organize the store, and assist community members. Sign up for a volunteer shift.
food pantry
Come to the Coppin Community Center’s food pantry for fresh produce, meat, dairy, bread, canned goods, and more. Open Mondays 4 - 6 pm at 5627 S Michigan Ave. Volunteers are always needed to unload the food delivery truck in the morning and distribute food in the evening. Sign up for a volunteer shift.
keep clothes out of landfills
Donate gently used clothes and household items. We’re always in need of men’s clothes, bedding, kitchen items, and winter coats/boots/gloves (please fill out the form below if you’d like to drop off donations!). We take stained or damaged clothes to a partner organization for fabric recycling. However, the best way to reduce clothing waste is to stop buying fast fashion and shop for thrifted/durable clothes.
help us help people
We know we can’t fix systemic problems on our own, but together, we can build better, more robust systems of care. We fundraise for neighbors experiencing emergencies, connect them with resources, and host workshops + community events. There’s a lot more we want to do, but to grow, we need your support.
we’re here for the long haulMESA was created to support immigrants being bused to Chicago by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Now, the buses have stopped coming, but our work isn’t done. What we built to support our new neighbors shouldn’t just disappear—it should grow. We remain committed to Chicago, to the South Side, and to each other, newly arrived immigrants and lifelong residents alike.
Donate to support our work. Consider making a monthly donation (no matter how small) to make our work more sustainable in the long run. We’re entirely volunteer-run, so all funds go towards operating expenses (rent, cleaning supplies, etc.) and stocking our free store with toiletries, feminine products, and other essentials.
schedule a drop-off to our free store
You can drop off donations during free store hours (Mondays 4- 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am - 1 pm). We want to keep clothing, bedding, household items, and furniture out of landfills as much as you do! Sorting through donations is a lot of work, though, and we have limited storage space at our free store. Please (please!) clean and label your donations before dropping them off. Unfortunately, we cannot accept out-of-season clothing items. We take stained or damaged clothes/shoes to a partner organization for fabric recycling.