Redlands Free Market — Amber Sarelle Creative

Redlands free Market is bi-monthly mutual aid project that directly meets the survival needs of our local un-housed community and their pets.

I created this market after the death of my un-housed little sister Amy. RFM is the manifestation of what was originally a mobile distribution, formed as a response to caring for Amy.

After a childhood of neglect, Amy aged out of the foster system an illiterate trans femme with no resources, who often engaged in survival sex work. After years of failed attempts to house Amy, I eventually took on the role of caretaker by regularly delivering essential goods to Amy to meet her immediate survival needs.
These recurring trips lead to familiarity with the local unhoused community and I would attempt to meet their needs as well.

Social media fundraising efforts to help cover the cost of these growing deliveries proved successful. Locals who were unable to provide essentials to our unhoused neighbors were happy to support someone who was. Inland Empire Harm Reduction reached out to me and a relationship formed that became the foundation of RFM's adoption of Harm Reduction principles.