Bernies Grooming City Dogs Staff Need Your Help
Donation protected
Bernie’s Grooming – City Dogs est. 1989
Last Saturday, a group of City Dogs’ neighbors expressed the community’s concerns about the welfare of my staff and the future of City Dogs amid the uncertainty of COVID-19. They asked if I would consider GoFundMe as an avenue for community assistance during these challenging times. Like all the small businesses in the neighborhood, we had to close our doors on March 16th. I understand that everyone is facing financial hardship. I sincerely appreciate the community’s concern and generosity.
For those of you that may not know, I want to share a little about my staff’s “silent” contributions to the integrity and growth of the “human” community.
City Dogs – Pierre, Javier, Nestor, Michael, Shantel, Jaelyn, Tammie, Nancy and Gianni
Life Learning Academy
Life Learning Academy is a San Francisco Unified School District charter high school founded in 1998 by the Delancey Street Foundation and is committed to creating a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. It is designed specifically to serve the highest-need students in San Francisco.
The Academy welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational and social skills necessary to be successful. City Dogs’ staff are a part of this extended family. Since 2012, the staff has volunteered to teach Academy students grooming skills at City Dogs. More importantly, these challenged youth are mentored by my staff and me.
The Mayor’s Youth Employment Education Program
The Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP) is a collaborative of non-profit organizations that provide job readiness training, work experience, academic support, and personal development to San Francisco youth challenged in their attempt to access employment. The staff at City Dogs has volunteered to work with MYEEP students for the past five years now and counting. The hands-on training starts in the bathing room and progresses to the job of a groomer's assistant. Here again, my staff and I spend countless hours mentoring these students. Shantel and Jaelyn are graduates of the MYEEP program. We have witnessed firsthand their growth and maturity, and we appreciate the laughter they bring to City Dogs.
Bernie’s Grooming - The Shoe Box
Animal Care & Control
Fourteen years ago, the director of the San Francisco Animal Care and Control asked me to groom rescued, surrendered and abandoned dogs and cats in dire need. The director’s philosophy was simple, "Grooming shelter pets is essential for them to feel and look their best in order to get adopted.”
Since then, we groomed many dogs for the shelter that were in heart-wrenching condition. Some to the point that it was difficult to differentiate one end from the other because of total neglect. As hard as it is to see dogs in poor condition and knowing that they had suffered, the shelter is a new “leash” on life, and we are fortunate to be a part of that process.
Thank you -
Thank you for allowing me to share with you a little about my staff’s “silent” contributions to the integrity and growth of the “human” community and the well-being of shelter dogs. We appreciate all of you that have supported us through the years, and we wish each of you good health and optimism for a happy future, post COVID-19.
All donations will be used to offset the loss of income by Pierre, Javier, Nestor, Michael, Shantel, Jaelyn, Tammie, Nancy and Gianni are experiencing, and the reoccurring monthly expenses to maintain City Dogs during the pandemic.
Thank you, Bernie
Last Saturday, a group of City Dogs’ neighbors expressed the community’s concerns about the welfare of my staff and the future of City Dogs amid the uncertainty of COVID-19. They asked if I would consider GoFundMe as an avenue for community assistance during these challenging times. Like all the small businesses in the neighborhood, we had to close our doors on March 16th. I understand that everyone is facing financial hardship. I sincerely appreciate the community’s concern and generosity.
For those of you that may not know, I want to share a little about my staff’s “silent” contributions to the integrity and growth of the “human” community.
City Dogs – Pierre, Javier, Nestor, Michael, Shantel, Jaelyn, Tammie, Nancy and Gianni
Life Learning Academy
Life Learning Academy is a San Francisco Unified School District charter high school founded in 1998 by the Delancey Street Foundation and is committed to creating a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. It is designed specifically to serve the highest-need students in San Francisco.
The Academy welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational and social skills necessary to be successful. City Dogs’ staff are a part of this extended family. Since 2012, the staff has volunteered to teach Academy students grooming skills at City Dogs. More importantly, these challenged youth are mentored by my staff and me.
The Mayor’s Youth Employment Education Program
The Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP) is a collaborative of non-profit organizations that provide job readiness training, work experience, academic support, and personal development to San Francisco youth challenged in their attempt to access employment. The staff at City Dogs has volunteered to work with MYEEP students for the past five years now and counting. The hands-on training starts in the bathing room and progresses to the job of a groomer's assistant. Here again, my staff and I spend countless hours mentoring these students. Shantel and Jaelyn are graduates of the MYEEP program. We have witnessed firsthand their growth and maturity, and we appreciate the laughter they bring to City Dogs.
Bernie’s Grooming - The Shoe Box
Animal Care & Control
Fourteen years ago, the director of the San Francisco Animal Care and Control asked me to groom rescued, surrendered and abandoned dogs and cats in dire need. The director’s philosophy was simple, "Grooming shelter pets is essential for them to feel and look their best in order to get adopted.”
Since then, we groomed many dogs for the shelter that were in heart-wrenching condition. Some to the point that it was difficult to differentiate one end from the other because of total neglect. As hard as it is to see dogs in poor condition and knowing that they had suffered, the shelter is a new “leash” on life, and we are fortunate to be a part of that process.
Thank you -
Thank you for allowing me to share with you a little about my staff’s “silent” contributions to the integrity and growth of the “human” community and the well-being of shelter dogs. We appreciate all of you that have supported us through the years, and we wish each of you good health and optimism for a happy future, post COVID-19.
All donations will be used to offset the loss of income by Pierre, Javier, Nestor, Michael, Shantel, Jaelyn, Tammie, Nancy and Gianni are experiencing, and the reoccurring monthly expenses to maintain City Dogs during the pandemic.
Thank you, Bernie
Organizer
Bernadette Machado
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
