Survival Funds for the West End Team
Donation protected
As we all know, NYC has closed all bars and restaurants, rendering it impossible for tens of thousands of service industry professionals to make a living. We at The West End are absolutely gutted by this reality, and knowing that we have friends and family from all walks of life who have generous spirits and charitable hearts, we wanted to reach out and see if you could help our entire Team of managers, bartenders, servers, bar-backs & Drag Queens.
Many of us are fortunate to have salaried jobs, or 401Ks, investments, savings, and accumulated wealth, all of which insulate us in times of crisis. The hard working team at The West End, the front-line people who make the magic happen daily, do not benefit from any of these. Not only has the team been put out of work now, but this very same team is made up of dedicated and loyal professionals who stood by our side for the past 2 years while we diligently fought the Community and our Neighbors, struggling to stay open through our own difficulties with the State Liquor Authority. After 2 years, we were successful in that fight, and we lived to see another day! But now, those same people who stayed by our side, in hopes of seeing better times, are hit again.
If you have it in your heart, and in your wallet, please donate to this Crisis Fund for our Team, so that their lives may be impacted as little as possible, and so that they can remain in NYC on standby, ready to come back to work healthy and happy! We have set a preliminary fundraising goal of $10,000, 100% of which will be split amongst the staff and Entertainers at The West End Lounge. This goal was set based off a low-range average of Credit Card Tips over the course of 1 month. This sum total does not account for cash tips or Booking Fees for Entertainers, so if we can raise more, we would be thrilled for our entire team! Our dream would be to pay everyone's booking fees and normal income in this time of crisis, but we realize that is not necessarily realistic.
I could go on for days and days about the wonderful people who make up our team at The West End, but instead, let me introduce you to a few of them:
At the head of our team is Peter and Mello. These two are responsible for keeping our day to day operations moving forward, as well as making sure the experience you receive each and every time you come to The West End is consistent and enjoyable.
Peter joined our team in early 2015. He has been with us - and dealing with John - ever since! Anyone who knows Peter knows he brings 110% to everything he does; be it a show, a management shift, or making someone else's experience the best possible. Peter not only manages at The West End, but he is also a Head Bartender, and produced a robust lineup of shows on a monthly basis. Peter has been financially impacted across 3 levels.
Mello joined our team in early 2016, after becoming a rockstar at other local establishments in the neighborhood. She has been with us through thick and thin ever since. Mello is a mother of 4, with kids ranging from grade school to college. Not only is she a manager, but she is also a Head Bartender. Mello depends on her shift pay and tips income to survive in NYC.
Nacho, the back bone of The West End, has been with us since 2014. There are no words to say how hard he works, and how much he depends on the income from The West End Lounge. He not only has children and a family here in NYC, but he also supports family back in Mexico. Nacho likely does not benefit from programs such as unemployment, and he will likely be impacted the hardest. He has a heart of gold.
The remaining team is made up of a slew of brilliant talented people from all across the country. We have singers, drag queens, corporate professionals, models, and anyone between! They bring their best every day, and our only wish is that they not suffer during this time.
If you find it realistic and possible to donate, we ask that you consider doing so! We love our team and want to see them impacted as little as possible during this time. Thank you every for your consideration and we hope you can help!
- West End Ownership
Many of us are fortunate to have salaried jobs, or 401Ks, investments, savings, and accumulated wealth, all of which insulate us in times of crisis. The hard working team at The West End, the front-line people who make the magic happen daily, do not benefit from any of these. Not only has the team been put out of work now, but this very same team is made up of dedicated and loyal professionals who stood by our side for the past 2 years while we diligently fought the Community and our Neighbors, struggling to stay open through our own difficulties with the State Liquor Authority. After 2 years, we were successful in that fight, and we lived to see another day! But now, those same people who stayed by our side, in hopes of seeing better times, are hit again.
If you have it in your heart, and in your wallet, please donate to this Crisis Fund for our Team, so that their lives may be impacted as little as possible, and so that they can remain in NYC on standby, ready to come back to work healthy and happy! We have set a preliminary fundraising goal of $10,000, 100% of which will be split amongst the staff and Entertainers at The West End Lounge. This goal was set based off a low-range average of Credit Card Tips over the course of 1 month. This sum total does not account for cash tips or Booking Fees for Entertainers, so if we can raise more, we would be thrilled for our entire team! Our dream would be to pay everyone's booking fees and normal income in this time of crisis, but we realize that is not necessarily realistic.
I could go on for days and days about the wonderful people who make up our team at The West End, but instead, let me introduce you to a few of them:
At the head of our team is Peter and Mello. These two are responsible for keeping our day to day operations moving forward, as well as making sure the experience you receive each and every time you come to The West End is consistent and enjoyable.
Peter joined our team in early 2015. He has been with us - and dealing with John - ever since! Anyone who knows Peter knows he brings 110% to everything he does; be it a show, a management shift, or making someone else's experience the best possible. Peter not only manages at The West End, but he is also a Head Bartender, and produced a robust lineup of shows on a monthly basis. Peter has been financially impacted across 3 levels.
Mello joined our team in early 2016, after becoming a rockstar at other local establishments in the neighborhood. She has been with us through thick and thin ever since. Mello is a mother of 4, with kids ranging from grade school to college. Not only is she a manager, but she is also a Head Bartender. Mello depends on her shift pay and tips income to survive in NYC.
Nacho, the back bone of The West End, has been with us since 2014. There are no words to say how hard he works, and how much he depends on the income from The West End Lounge. He not only has children and a family here in NYC, but he also supports family back in Mexico. Nacho likely does not benefit from programs such as unemployment, and he will likely be impacted the hardest. He has a heart of gold.
The remaining team is made up of a slew of brilliant talented people from all across the country. We have singers, drag queens, corporate professionals, models, and anyone between! They bring their best every day, and our only wish is that they not suffer during this time.
If you find it realistic and possible to donate, we ask that you consider doing so! We love our team and want to see them impacted as little as possible during this time. Thank you every for your consideration and we hope you can help!
- West End Ownership
Organizer
John Forslund
Organizer
New York, NY
