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Ep #112: Mutual Aid Isn't Charity with Eric Von Haynes (noseyAF Classic)

This is a noseyAF classic — a conversation originally recorded in 2024 with Eric Von Haynes that was edited and reshaped to air live on Lumpen Radio (WLPN Chicago 105.5 FM). Eric is a printmaker, designer, publisher, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago, and he brings real clarity to what mutual aid actually means — and what it doesn't. We dig into how it differs from charity, why reciprocity is the whole point, and how his community fridge network Love Fridge Chicago puts those values into practice across the city. Plus we get into his art, why print is a political act, and why he believes the strongest groups — not individuals — survive.

What We Talk About

What mutual aid actually is and what it's NOT (hint: posting a Venmo link is probably just fundraising)
Reciprocity as the heart of real community care, and why transparency matters
How Love Fridge Chicago works, what it takes to maintain a fridge site, and why community buy-in is everything
The difference between mutual aid and charity — and why Love Fridge isn't a nonprofit
Horizontality, anarchist philosophy, and why Eric believes no one should be a billionaire
Photographing people receiving food and why that's straight-up othering
Printmaking as a democratic and political act — especially as a Black man in America
Flatlands Press and why getting ideas into physical multiples matters
That time a yoga studio started leaving flyers at a fridge site 🙄

Things We Mentioned

Love Fridge Chicago
Flatlands Press
Mutual Aid by Dean Spade (affiliate link)
Artist Admin Hour (Stephanie's sponsor shoutout)
Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago (where Eric had a exhibition)
The Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Eric Von Haynes and Love Fridge
02:21 - The Power of Mutual Aid
20:29 - Exploring Mutual Aid and Community Support
29:58 - The Importance of Community Engagement in Resource Distribution
38:26 - Exploring the Differences Between Mutual Aid and Charity
49:50 - Creating Diverse Spaces for Black Voices

All about... Eric Von Haynes

You're gonna love Eric he's a printmaker, designer, publisher, community builder, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago. He's also the president of the Chicago Printers Guild and the founder of Flatlands Press, where he creates and publishes artist books and printed matter for artists he believes should exist in the world. His work is rooted in anarchist philosophy, horizontality, and a deep belief that the strongest groups survive not the strongest individuals.

Sponsor Shoutout

💖 This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour.

It's a weekly Zoom session (Wednesdays, 7–9 pm Central) for artists to tackle the admin stuff they've been putting off — grant apps, residency applications, budgets, invoices — with body doubling, structure, and real community. Plans start at $65–$95/month, but if that's not doable, email Stephanie because getting this done matters. Check them out here: artistadminhour.com

Connect with Eric Von Haynes

Website: flatlandspress.com
Love Fridge Chicago: thelovefridge.com
Eric’s Instagram: @manny_suena

More ways to connect:

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Episode Credits

Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!)

Lyrics: Queen Lex

Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick