Don’t You Want Me are incredibly proud to introduce the Don’t You Want Me Rescue Grant: an idea sprung from the shared belief in the power of rescue dogs, and the joy, hope and comfort they can bring to our everyday lives. Please read about it and find the CANADA application at the bottom. Please note we are only accepting one recipient at this time, but hope to open it up to more people very soon. The grant will seek to provide a suitable person from the queer and trans community with the opportunity to adopt a dog when they need it the most, and provide ongoing support. We are starting with one recipient from each of the Toronto and London/Brighton UK communities, and hope to grow to reach further people in need.
In the hopes of enabling an ongoing cycle of reciprocal love and support, this campaign will provide a stray dog with a safe and loving home, whilst also providing a member of the LGBTQ+ community with a source of strength, friendship and healing.
APPROXIMATELY HALF OF DYWM PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID THAT THEIR DOG SAVED THEIR LIFE. Far more than basic financial aid, the Don’t You Want Me Rescue Grant aims to provide a complete practical and emotional toolkit to help transform the life of the individual who receives it. We’re keen to ensure that this grant helps to markedly improve the mental health of a recipient who we've determined - with the help of our mental health partner organizations - would benefit from dog ownership on several levels, and who has always yearned for a dog but could never have one, for many reasons.
The grant also aims to remove some of the traditional blockers LGBTQ+ people may face when considering taking on the responsibility of adopting a dog. Queer and trans people are many times more likely to be discriminated against either in the workplace or in the recruitment process, and job security can therefore prove to be a stumbling block. By providing support towards the cost of dog ownership, the DYWM Rescue Grant seeks to make it easier for the recipient to provide a responsible home for their beloved new companion whilst also allowing them to make important career choices unfettered by the need to provide round-the-clock care. ___________________________________________________________________________ The Grant continues to go hand in hand with the original mission of the Don't You Want Me Project itself, building awareness within a mainstream audience to highlight the positivity that transpires when the marginalised receive unconditional love and support from each other. Our first grant recipients will begin on this journey with us in March 2021.
The DYWM Grant is launching in both the UK and in Toronto to start, with the hopes of expanding globally. We are deeply thankful to these businesses and organizations who have generously donated their goods and services to assist our first grantee. CANADA SUPPORT:
Friends of Ruby: LGBTQI2S mental health organization; counseling and support