ProspectBArk - Employee Relief Fund
Written by Chun-Soon Li, company owner and founder.
Like so many small businesses, ProspectBArk has been strugglin'.
Halfway through March, business tanked as everyone started working from home, but I promised our clients, staff and my daughter that we would STAY OPEN for anyone who needed us. Single parents home alone with young children? We walked those pups morning, noon and night. Hospital workers pulling double shifts and sleeping on makeshift cots at work? We fed those cats and made sure they got their seizure meds on schedule. Senior clients quarantined at home, delivery drivers too exhausted to walk the dog after lifting heavy packages all day, parents of newborns who didn't want to risk exposure, clients stuck abroad with no way home ... we made sure all their pets got fed, got exercise, got their meds ... and MOST of ALL, we showered them with love!
When NY went on "pause" it wasn't immediately clear if pet caretakers were considered "essential" workers, so we printed out emails from our clients outlining the necessity of our service; explaining that if we could not work, animals would get sick or potentially starve. We carried these emails on our appointed rounds, just in case we got stopped. (We didn't). Eventually, "animal care" was officially deemed "essential" -- but we never skipped a day. There is just no way we weren't going to be there for our clients.
Even as our own numbers dwindled, Summer turned into Fall and our bills started piling up, we never stopped answering the phone when it rang. We tightened our belts, sang to our own animals, made videos and tiktoks , sold discounted gift certificates, and commissioned pet portraits so our clients wouldn't forget about us... we ran a pet model contest and designed new logos (see? New logos! We aren't going anywhere!!) For the first time in ten years, I was forced to lay off valuable Caretakers so that they could receive pandemic assistance via unemployment. Those phone calls were crushing, though we knew it was the best and last thing I could do for them.
Well, it's been almost nine months of this (waves arms). Our intrepid "Corona Crew" are still out there, visiting the cats, dogs, rabbits, and one gecko (hi Felix!) who need us. I could not ask for a more resilient, devoted and PROFESSIONAL team, as they traveling long distances between clients every day, observe increased safety protocols, and provide the best pet care imaginable for our furry friends!
It is with a humble heart that I have set up this GoFundMe for ProspectBArk's staff. 100% of the funds will be given to our Caretakers to help them recover from (what is sure to be) one of the largest financial setbacks in our lifetime.
** BONUS** If you make a donation (any amount), we'll send you a beautiful digital portrait of your favorite pet! By our very own Greenpoint Caretaker, Alexa.. aren't they STUNNING? Just send us your name, the pet's name and a hi-res photo to [email redacted] . Thank you!
We understand that many of our clients are facing tough times, too. Please know that having your moral support is also extremely helpful to us! If you cannot donate at this time, please consider sharing this gofundme online, post a positive review of us on our yelp page, purchase a gift certificate for future service (now 25% OFF!) and recommend ProspectBArk to any cat and dog pawrents you know! All of these help us stay strong through this uncertain time, and will enable us to rebuild quickly once the crisis is past! Thank you SO MUCH for reading all of this and supporting us! We miss seeing all our furry pals, and hope to be reunited with them very soon!
~ Chun-Soon, Tina, Ben, Taryn, Rachel & Jen
... and everyone at TeamBArk!
#givingtuesday
#smallbusinessrelief
