- S
Hello internet. My name is Uma, and I run a small massage school in Los Angeles (www.hollywoodcareercollege.com). Like many of you, we are largely shut down at the moment due to COVID-19. But this appeal is not about the school.
Like many across the service industry, massage therapists have been severely impacted by the shutdown (it's difficult to maintain proper social distancing during a massage). A few weeks ago, I decided to call around to my current and former students, just to see how they were holding up. For many, the situation was not good. Pre-COVID, many were living paycheck to paycheck, like many in our country. But now, unable to work, some were basically out of money and food.
So I decided to do something.
I started with buying bulk dry and canned goods, at first on my own, but soon with the financial help of some in the local community. As word got out, my little food bank took on a life of its own, and for the past couple of weeks, we have been able to have a special, hot food day (thanks in part to the generous support of several restaurants) each week. Last week we were able to help about 200 families get some good food that they desperately needed.
This is where you come in.
We have largely burned through our current funds, but the need for what we're doing will not be going away any time soon (even if places reopened tomorrow, people are going to be very reluctant to go for massages for a long time). Please help us keep going and hopefully even expand what we are able to do.
Your donations will help provide much needed food and sundries (we try to provide toilet paper with the food - one stop shopping!). The more donations we receive, the more people we can help, and for a longer period of time. If you are in a position to help, please consider supporting a section of the service industry that you may not have given much thought to (I know everyone has a lot on their minds at the moment), so when things start to get back to normal, you will be able to treat yourself to a massage. Helping these people now will ensure they will be able to take care of you in the future.
Please note that everyone pictured is a volunteer helping hand out food - we will never show pictures of our clients. No one needing help should worry about having their picture used without consent. We will not do that.
Like many across the service industry, massage therapists have been severely impacted by the shutdown (it's difficult to maintain proper social distancing during a massage). A few weeks ago, I decided to call around to my current and former students, just to see how they were holding up. For many, the situation was not good. Pre-COVID, many were living paycheck to paycheck, like many in our country. But now, unable to work, some were basically out of money and food.
So I decided to do something.
I started with buying bulk dry and canned goods, at first on my own, but soon with the financial help of some in the local community. As word got out, my little food bank took on a life of its own, and for the past couple of weeks, we have been able to have a special, hot food day (thanks in part to the generous support of several restaurants) each week. Last week we were able to help about 200 families get some good food that they desperately needed.
This is where you come in.
We have largely burned through our current funds, but the need for what we're doing will not be going away any time soon (even if places reopened tomorrow, people are going to be very reluctant to go for massages for a long time). Please help us keep going and hopefully even expand what we are able to do.
Your donations will help provide much needed food and sundries (we try to provide toilet paper with the food - one stop shopping!). The more donations we receive, the more people we can help, and for a longer period of time. If you are in a position to help, please consider supporting a section of the service industry that you may not have given much thought to (I know everyone has a lot on their minds at the moment), so when things start to get back to normal, you will be able to treat yourself to a massage. Helping these people now will ensure they will be able to take care of you in the future.
Please note that everyone pictured is a volunteer helping hand out food - we will never show pictures of our clients. No one needing help should worry about having their picture used without consent. We will not do that.