Tip Jar for Unemployed Gowanus Health, Wellness and Fitness Workers

We ask that you contribute to our online "Tip Jar" to support workers of Gowanus health, fitness, and recreation establishments in Brooklyn!  

The Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club is fundraising to compensate staff & crew of our Gowanus waterfront neighborhood who are experiencing work interruptions due to the COVID-19 lockdown.  Government funding may not arrive in time to pay rent in May (and in some cases, due many employees being a contract or freelance workforce, it is difficult to qualify for unemployment benefits). 

For over twenty years, our organization has been inviting the public to engage in physical direct contact recreation on our Superfund designated contaminated Gowanus Canal waterway, where we've advocated for water quality improvements and access to our waters (massive pollution continues today during every rainfall!).

Our Gowanus neighborhood community includes unique health, wellness, and physical fitness establishments that have been devastated by the mandatory closure during COVID-19.  This business sector has grown increasingly significant in our neighborhood's economic ecosystem, and we are sad to see our friends and neighbors impacted.  We hope you agree that workers in the health, wellness, and physical fitness sector are crucial to our community in Brooklyn. 

We encourage you to add to our "Tip Jar" for the employees of these businesses.  Without your support, many of these staff members may have no income in the immediate future.  Many are contract employees who directed educational classes, others are furloughed full time employees.  Other efforts of our organization are supporting Gowanus businesses during this crisis, but Gowanus employees of our fitness, health, and our wellness sector staff are in need of your assistance today. 

Note: The Gowanus Dredgers retains the right to make final determinations as to whether an establishment is in Gowanus and/or which individual employees may be eligible recipients.  Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law

On April 29th, we will transfer or distribute funds raised in our virtual "tip jar" to our Gowanus partners so they may immediately issue checks or payment to "staff" who were let go due to COVID-19 that were not re-employed during April.  With your support, that could make a difference in paying rent, purchasing food, or addressing other immediate human needs.

Our organization is focused on the environmental and waterfront issues of the Gowanus estuary and we are responding to the social and economic needs of our neighborhood and it's employees during this time of crisis.  The health of a neighborhood includes the people who work in fitness, health, and wellness and we are happy to be an active participant and supporter of the individuals who work in those establishments.