AnAfternoonOfCare

A Passion Project Idea for the Summer of 2017 - "An Afternoon of Care"

The Background...
Every quarter, one of us members of The New Hollywood (a 501c3 non-profit) has a chance to win $500 to put towards a "charity challenge" that speaks to our hearts and makes a difference in the community. Here are some of the prior TNH Charity Challenges that other members have done.

I won the $500 this quarter and I've decided to create this private page with my initial idea..

The Inspiration...
I love dogs and have been involved in different projects benefitting them as I'm passionate about their quality of life and well-being. By trade I am a speaker, and my 2nd TEDxTalk is...about dogs :-)

I also passionate about supporting the homeless - Aside from volunteering at the DTLA Women's Center in May, this was with my pup Wellington when we got to contribute to Coventant's House yearly sleep out in March.

Personally, I am especially touched when I see a homeless person with their dog...I love the bond of unconditional love those pups gift us.

I was talking to Wellington's vet who, when he was still living in Illinois, helped one of the local shelters welcome the people WITH their pets. Our awesome vet said that often times people will stay in a challenging situation, or even end up on the streets, because of not wanting to be separated from their dogs, and that most shelters do not accept people with their dogs (evidently only 3% of US shelters allow people with their dogs?!!).

The Why...
I know that if I were ever homeless, I would give any food I had to my dog first before eating it myself..

During the holidays, Wellington and I go around with friends and give wrapped gifts to the homeless (sweaters, food, blankets..) .Throughout the year, when I do a random act of kindness, it usually involves food or bedding for a homeless pup. This past year I added doggie-food and doggie-blankets doggie-shampoo during the holidays as well.

What I See Possible...
While I am aware that creating more shelters for men and women and their dogs here in LA is a big picture idea that may take some time, what I envision is the following:

To put to good use the $500 from The New Hollywood Charity Challenge and help the homeless pups of L.A., on the afternoon of June 28th, together with a few members of The New Hollywood, we will provide an "afternoon of care" for L.A. homeless dogs & their owners.

This will be held at St Margaret's Center on skid-row from 2:30-4:30pm

The $500 will be used towards complimentary mobile grooming, blankets, toys and possibly vet check ups. "Angel Bags" is stepping up by providing care packages for the homeless pet-owners. (Thank you!!)

What we need next...

The biggest donation we humbly request is a donation of dog food that we can provide to the homeless pups. We plan to partner up with a Pets Of The Homeless LA location to best support the homeless pets. When the food is donated that way, Pets Of The Homeless can provide a receipt for your generous donation. If at all possible, we would need the food to be donated no later than June 19th, that way the Pets Of The Homeless LA location can repackage it in gallons zip lock bags, that are easy to give out and carry.

If you are a vet who would be open to donating your time to donate wellness check ups for an hour or two, contact me through 310-625-7462 or via [email protected] and I will send you the "Pets of the Homeless" grant application so that your hard costs may be covered. Thank you so much in advance!! We also need donations of leashes & collars, toys & treats, shampoos & brushes, bowls & harnesses.

All our pup-loving friends such as you, are invited to contribute as little or as much as they wish.

In one of their articles, Pets Of The Homeless write:

“3.5 million Americans are homeless. Between 5 and 10 percent of homeless people have dogs and/or cats. In some areas of the country, the rate is as high as 24 percent. During the holiday season, cold winter weather and loss of hope during a time of giving pose additional hardships for the homeless population. And for their pets living on the street, they will need the extra calories from food during the winter months to keep warm. [...]

[…] For homeless people with pets, many are forced to choose between their pet or a roof over their head. These pets are non judgmental, provide love, comfort and an emotional bond of loyalty. In some cases, they provide the homeless with protection and also keep them warm. During the holidays, giving human food to local food banks is great, but remember that Fido and Kitty need assistance too.”

We will also be sure to provide a social media thank you on all our channels, and anything our generous donors need to make it a win-win. I will report back to the members of The New Hollywood, by our July meeting, with how the $500 made a difference in our community. For that purpose, a 3-4 minute video of the event will be created, and shared via social media, where all our sponsors will be thanked for their generous donation.

Ideally...If possible, I'd like to see this not as a one time thing, but as the beginning of regular food donations that could be done directly to Pets Of the Homeless so they can continue the amazing work they do, as the only national organization to take care of the well-being of pets of the homeless. ...Planting the seed and seeing how it grows :-) I am open to your thoughts - [email protected] - 310-625-7462