San Francisco is My Home

24
Mar

Rocket Dog fundraiser coming up

Author: kris, Category: Charity, Events, Groups

Local non-profit org Rocket Dog Rescue is holding a fundraiser party on April 5. Rocket Dog’s founder is the woman who lost her home on Christmas Eve, and the organization can really use your support at this tough time.

The fundraiser is happening at Terra Mia on April 5. Expect fine foods, drinks, and a silent auction. Every penny raised will go towards rescuing a dog who is going to be euthanized at a shelter. Visit the website for details.

13
Feb

The Bark & Whine Ball

Author: kris, Category: Charity, Events

The very first news story I was ever assigned was about the San Francisco SPCA’s Bark and Whine Ball, but I think I’d have a soft spot for the event even if that weren’t the case. The B&W is the SF/SPCA’s annual fundraiser, a glam formal-wear event for people and their dogs. And if you think dogs can’t wear black tie, think again. I’ve seen dogs in tuxedos, ball gowns, rhinestones and diamonds. I’ve seen doggie couture.

The event is way more fun than these fundraisers usually are, simply because everyone has their dogs with them. The dogs are astonishingly well-behaved, too — you almost never hear anyone barking, or see them trying to roughhouse. What you do see is a ton of food and drink, a high-class silent auction, and a jazzy little orchestra.

On top of the fun to be had, the Bark & Whine is raising money for a worthy cause. All money raised goes to the SPCA’s Cinderella Fund, which provides the additional medical care that some animals need before they can be adopted. In some cases this means things like treating ear infections or performing minor surgery;  in other cases it can be a simple as cosmetic dental work that will make the difference between a family taking home that adorable puppy, or leaving the poor snaggle-toothed guy in the shelter.

Lest you are unmoved, consider your own pet, or a pet you’ve loved in the past. What if that pet had arrived at a shelter with a bad ear infection, or cosmetic problems? What if the shelter didn’t have a no-kill policy, and euthanized your dog or cat to make room for a more “adoptable” animal?

But enough preaching.  If you’re interested, the Ball is happening on March 6 at the SF Gift Center. Check out the website for tickets.

This image is from the Bark & Whine website.

28
Jan

Benefit for Rocket Dog Rescue

Author: kris, Category: Bars and Clubs, Charity, Events, Groups, Music

Those of you who were struck by the sad destruction of Rocket Dog Rescue’s headquarters but didn’t know what to do about it are in luck. On Friday, February 1, you can attend a benefit for the non-profit dog rescue group at Slim’s, featuring a dazzling lineup of performers, plus some disco funtimes. Show starts at 8:30, and you can buy tickets here.

Flyer from Rocket Dog website.

28
Dec

Sad news for a city legend

Author: kris, Category: Charity, News, People, Volunteering

Pali Boucher is the woman who made me want to be a journalist. I’d already been freelancing for one newspaper for a couple of months when I interviewed her, but it was something I’d kind of fallen into and I wasn’t sure how much I was liking it.

Then I got assigned a story on Pali, the founder of Rocket Dog Rescue. Pali is an amazing firecracker of a woman: warm, articulate, energetic and fiercely caring, she’s dedicated her life to finding homes for dogs that other shelters would euthanize for being “unadoptable.”

Pali spent much of her childhood homeless, and when she grew up she suffered from a drug addiction. But when she got her first dog, Leadbelly, she knew she’d have to get clean to take care of him. The amazing part is that she did: she kicked her habit, found a home, and founded Rocket Dog. After talking to her I knew I wanted to stay a journalist so that I could go on meeting people like Pali.

Recently her apartment burned down, killing the three foster dogs inside, as well as her beloved talking parrot. It happened just before Christmas. The last I heard, she still wasn’t sure whether she’d be allowed to move back into the apartment.

If you want to help out Pali or Rocket Dog Rescue, either with a donation or by volunteering to foster a dog, visit the Rocket Dog website and click “volunteer” or “donate.”

20
Dec

Family Link and a friar’s belt

Author: kris, Category: Charity, People, Seen

I saw the friar again today, still in his robe and baseball cap. He was coming out of a door on Castro Street that I’d never noticed before next to a sign that said Family Link.

A few minutes of internet research later, I learned that The Family Link is a non-profit that serves people with AIDS in an interesting way: by offering hospitality to their visiting friends and family members. It provides a space for people to come and have some coffee or a meal, talk to others going through a similar experience, and decompress a little in a nice atmosphere.  An admirable way to find a very real need and fill it, I say.

I’m fascinated by this friar, who I imagine works with Family Link in some capacity. As the newspapers flare up with stories about the Catholic Church denouncing the good-doing Sisters of Perpetual Mercy, and books like The End of Faith and The God Delusion become best sellers, it’s interesting to find the places where religion is still being a help and comfort like it’s supposed to.

I’m also fascinated by the friar’s belt, which looks like rope but I think is not actual rope, not the kind you’d use to tie something up on a ship or lead a mule to market. I’m sure the rope belt began as actual scraps of rope, because the friars had taken vows of poverty or whathaveyou and were just using whatever came to hand to tie their robes together. But I wonder if in the modern world you actually buy your rope belt from a manufacturer who makes you a nice smooth synthetic version or something.

None of this should be taken as any reflection on the friar, whose supportive presence at LGBT rallies and AIDS charities makes him one of our unsung local luminaries in my book. I’m just curious about the rope.

18
Dec

Volunteer with Friends of the Elderly

Author: kris, Category: Charity, Holiday, Volunteering

If you’re still looking for some good you can do at this time of year, you might check out Little Brothers — Friends of the Elderly. Don’t let the name fool you: this organization welcomes all genders. Currently they’re looking for volunteers for their Christmas program. Those who sign up will spend a few hours on Christmas Day delivering a meal and hanging out with one of the many seniors the organization assists. I like these guys because their stated mission is to feed people’s spirits as well as their bodies. It’s not a religious thing; they just recognize that lonely people need companionship as well as a free lunch.

To sign up for this or one of their many other programs throughout the year, check out their website here.

04
Dec

Get a little, give a little

Author: kris, Category: Charity, Holiday

We enter into the holiday season with merry faces and rain. The far-off hills mist over, remembering past holidays, and think to themselves, “Selves, how come we never do anything charitable at this time of year?” Or at any time, really. But the rain and the cold remind us of the homeless, the lonely, the discriminated-against, the bereft, and we wish to help them if we may.

In the spirit of holiday giving, I’m going to be posting some charitable endeavors here over the coming weeks which you, the red-nosed and jolly, may wish to take part in. ‘Tis the season, after all.

My first suggestion is simple: volunteer to run a donation drive for your office or school. This is a lot easier than it sounds. For example, the San Francisco Food Bank makes it very easy to run a food drive. They bring the empty food barrels to your office and pick them up at the end of the drive. They also provide you with flyers, posters and a guide on how to run things. Click here for details.

If running the drive yourself is too much work, consider contributing to someone else’s collection. For example, Toys For Tots has a toy drive ending 12/20. Post a few flyers around the office asking people to leave their donations at your desk, and plan to drive the toys to the drop-off location. You can see all the contact info for the San Francisco Toys for Tots location here.