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Objective: Mutual aid has been a longstanding practice among communities who experience short-term crises (such as natural and human-made disasters) as well as long-term crises (such as systemic marginalization and poverty). It has proliferated as a widespread practice during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for individuals and communities to share resources when government and nongovernmental services have failed. Our study aims to understand the values and beliefs underlying mutual aid practices in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We used phenomenological methods to interview mutual aid organizers and participants (N = 25) across the state of Colorado in the early months of the pandemic. Results: We identified three common values underlying mutual aid: reciprocity, shared humanity, and community-driven care and redistribution of resources. Participants recognized that realizing these values requires a generative and active community that is responsive to needs. Conclusions: These findings could inform mutual aid organizers, social workers, and scholars, enhancing their understanding of how mutual aid—as both a longstanding and emerging practice—may uniquely respond to the ongoing pandemic and compounding crises, such as economic distress and climate change, as government and nongovernmental (e.g., nonprofit) systems fail to keep up with increasing needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]