Dream Baby Staff Fundraiser
Donation protected
As you all know, every bar and restaurant in NYC has been ordered to close it's on premise doors in response to the Covid-19 global pandemic and Dream Baby Bar in the East Village is no exception. Due to the uncertainty of the length of closure and inability to generate any income, we have had to let our entire Dream Baby staff go in the hopes of being able to hire them all back in the near future. This was one of the saddest moments of my life as an owner--having to tell my beautiful and loyal team that always goes above and beyond for me -- that I didn't know what was happening or how I could help them through it. I have never felt so powerless and for the first time ever, had no tricks up my sleeve.
Of course, the staff all responded with words of encouragement to me. Because they are tough cookies (my dream bb's are warriors in the war on gremlins!). But that was in the beginning. Before we saw how hard it was to get the unemployment site from crashing (thus far, only two staff members have successfully been able to apply without the site going down). Before we saw how hard it was to apply for food stamps. Before we saw that our high NYC rents due on April 1st were not going to be abated and that congressional relief packages are still a month away from coming anywhere near us. Before we started hearing that any kind of direct cash relief might not happen until a month from now (and is less than 25% of what most earn on a modest income in this industry & impossible to pay rent and eat and pay health insurance with). Before we saw that many on our team would not qualify for benefits at all.
I have always shouted from the mountaintop (okay, top of Avenue B), that it is no secret that what has always made Dream Baby special is our wonderful staff--eccentric, artistic, kind, thoughtful, friendly, generous, engaging, talented, and wildly amusing...with very very very good taste in music. Anyone who is reading this has a favorite bartender (or ten) and so many of you regulars have become our darling real life friends who we see more often than our biological families. And you have become our families. We've had each other through celebrations, sadness, boredom, happiness, tragedy, and everything in between. And that's what hurts about this necessary process the most--we are a family and we are not allowed to comfort each other in person. It's when we need each other the most.
It does not surprise me that so many of you have reached out and asked how you can help the bar at this time. Frankly, with everything going on and so many in need, I am sheepish about asking for help for my kids. But they mean that much to me and I know they are struggling. The best way to help Dream Baby is to help my staff. If you are in the position to make a monetary donation (all of which goes to the staff), that would be so very much appreciated. But even if you can just share this online and/or say hello to us in the comments below, that would mean the world to us. We miss you.
We hope you are all staying safe. Put some Robyn on and do a shot for us tonight. We've definitely got your next one.
XOXO,
Maria
Laura
Danny
Jesse
Owners
Dream Baby Bar
#SmallBusinessRelief
Of course, the staff all responded with words of encouragement to me. Because they are tough cookies (my dream bb's are warriors in the war on gremlins!). But that was in the beginning. Before we saw how hard it was to get the unemployment site from crashing (thus far, only two staff members have successfully been able to apply without the site going down). Before we saw how hard it was to apply for food stamps. Before we saw that our high NYC rents due on April 1st were not going to be abated and that congressional relief packages are still a month away from coming anywhere near us. Before we started hearing that any kind of direct cash relief might not happen until a month from now (and is less than 25% of what most earn on a modest income in this industry & impossible to pay rent and eat and pay health insurance with). Before we saw that many on our team would not qualify for benefits at all.
I have always shouted from the mountaintop (okay, top of Avenue B), that it is no secret that what has always made Dream Baby special is our wonderful staff--eccentric, artistic, kind, thoughtful, friendly, generous, engaging, talented, and wildly amusing...with very very very good taste in music. Anyone who is reading this has a favorite bartender (or ten) and so many of you regulars have become our darling real life friends who we see more often than our biological families. And you have become our families. We've had each other through celebrations, sadness, boredom, happiness, tragedy, and everything in between. And that's what hurts about this necessary process the most--we are a family and we are not allowed to comfort each other in person. It's when we need each other the most.
It does not surprise me that so many of you have reached out and asked how you can help the bar at this time. Frankly, with everything going on and so many in need, I am sheepish about asking for help for my kids. But they mean that much to me and I know they are struggling. The best way to help Dream Baby is to help my staff. If you are in the position to make a monetary donation (all of which goes to the staff), that would be so very much appreciated. But even if you can just share this online and/or say hello to us in the comments below, that would mean the world to us. We miss you.
We hope you are all staying safe. Put some Robyn on and do a shot for us tonight. We've definitely got your next one.
XOXO,
Maria
Laura
Danny
Jesse
Owners
Dream Baby Bar
#SmallBusinessRelief
Organizer
Maria Devitt
Organizer
New York, NY
