Purpose
To create a shared pool of care resources through small collective contributions, enabling communities to respond quickly and supportively when unexpected needs arise.
What need does it address?
- Providing rapid support for unexpected care needs
- Preventing care responsibilities from falling on a single person
- Making solidarity a natural part of everyday life
- Creating an inclusive culture of care where everyone can contribute
- Making it easier to say, “I need support.”
How can it be practiced?
1. Create a care fund.
You can establish a shared care fund within your neighborhood, apartment building, workplace, or group of friends.
The fund can be physical or digital.
2. Make small contributions.
The care fund does not need to consist only of money. Different kinds of resources can also be contributed.
For example:
- Small financial contributions
- Grocery gift cards
- Prepared meal vouchers
- Public transportation credits
- Children’s books or toys
- Hygiene products
- Diapers or baby formula
- Useful care-related items already available at home
3. Establish shared guidelines.
For example:
- Who can access the fund?
- How can support be requested?
- Who makes decisions about its use?
- How are contributions replenished?
It is important for the guidelines to remain simple and grounded in trust.
4. Use it when needs arise.
A care fund can help ease care burdens during:
- Illness
- Postpartum periods
- Bereavement and grief
- Unemployment
- Unexpected crises
- Temporary financial hardship
5. Make solidarity visible.
The care fund can be understood not only as a resource for times of crisis, but also as a reflection of a community’s collective capacity to care.
Contributing to the fund and drawing on it when needed are both natural parts of the same cycle of mutual support.
Things to consider
- Contributions should be entirely voluntary.
- No one should be required to disclose how much they contribute.
- The privacy of those receiving support should be protected.
- The process should be based on trust and mutual respect.
- The fund should not be seen as a charity mechanism, but as a shared resource for collective care.
The Ihtimam Perspective
Ihtimam Rituals offer practical ways to strengthen care relationships in everyday life. However, lasting solutions to the invisibilization of care require changes not only in daily practices, but also in organizations, policies, and systems.
For more structural approaches, explore the Care Policy Recommendations Tool:
Shared by
This ritual was shared by one of İhtimam’s Co-Nurturers.
Ihtimam Rituals is a living collection of care practices developed by individuals, communities, and organizations in their everyday lives. You can contribute to this collective archive by sharing a ritual that strengthens care relationships in your own daily life.