Little Joe's Barbershop COVID relief fund
Donation protected
Hi everyone,
My name is Bryan Soto and I am starting this campaign to help my dads Barbershop stay afloat during the Covid related closures. As a small business owner in an industry that requires close physical contact, this situation has brought my fathers entire operation to a screeching halt. With "Little Joe's Barbershop" closed for the last two months and no way of knowing when things will go back to normal, the situation gets more difficult by the day.
Those of you that know my father Joe know the outstanding man that he is. Working in my grandfathers barbershop (and leaving formal education) since the age of 12, my father opened up his own business by the time he was 18. Due to financial hardships back in Mexico, my father made the difficult decision to leave everything behind in search of a better life.
His first few days in Chicago he worked as a 'paletero' pushing an ice cream cart down 'La Villita', our first neighborhood on the SW side of Chicago. During his rounds he stopped by any barbershop he found looking for work doing what he knew how to do best. Eventually he was hired at a small barbershop which unbeknownst to him, he was destined to buy and take over a few years later.
I was born in Mexico in 89' and came to this country through the desert in my moms arms shortly after. My brother was born two years later in Chicago at Mercy hospital. After moving from apartment to apartment for a while, we were raised in a strict but loving household by my parents in the apartment right above my dads shop--"Little Joe's Barbershop." Growing up my brother and I spent every weekend by my dads side--Saturday was my day, Sunday was for my brother. We grew up sweeping and brushing the hair off our clients backs after their haircuts. We would clean and listen, live, and learn. Together we watched him work long hours, long days, long weeks, long months, and long years. For many years my father did not take a day off, and everyday he was always the first one up and the last one to go to bed. He drove my brother and I to school every day, went to all of our report card pickups, and stopped by every one of our school performances, but summertime vacations were for my mother, my brother, and me. My father was relentless in his pursuit for success.
My father, with his 6th grade education put his two boys through a Gifted program all the way through 8th grade, a selective enrollment high school (go Dolphins!) and eventually got each of them a college degree, one from NorthEastern University and one from UIUC, AND taught them how to cut hair! Today my brother and I work as bilingual elementary school teachers in the city of Chicago and while we don't spend much time in the barbershop any more, we continue to groom young minds just in a metaphorical sense.
I say all of this to paint the picture of a man who could really use a break right about now. The funds from this campaign will go towards covering rent, utilities, employee salary, and will help pay for any modifications that will need to be made in order to make "Little Joe's" safer and more sanitary for their clientele once they resume operations again. With your help we are also looking to qualify for a $500 grant as part of GoFundMe's #SmallBusinessRelief efforts through which they are helping to raise money to benefit small businesses such as my dads.
Please know that any help received during this time will be infinitely appreciated and absolutely not forgotten. You can choose to get involved by donating to the campaign, or use this platform to pay for your future haircuts ahead of time. If you choose to do this please let us know and we will work something out at a later time. Thank you all so much for your support!
"Little Joe's Barbershop" looks forward to re-opening and seeing you all again soon!
My name is Bryan Soto and I am starting this campaign to help my dads Barbershop stay afloat during the Covid related closures. As a small business owner in an industry that requires close physical contact, this situation has brought my fathers entire operation to a screeching halt. With "Little Joe's Barbershop" closed for the last two months and no way of knowing when things will go back to normal, the situation gets more difficult by the day.
Those of you that know my father Joe know the outstanding man that he is. Working in my grandfathers barbershop (and leaving formal education) since the age of 12, my father opened up his own business by the time he was 18. Due to financial hardships back in Mexico, my father made the difficult decision to leave everything behind in search of a better life.
His first few days in Chicago he worked as a 'paletero' pushing an ice cream cart down 'La Villita', our first neighborhood on the SW side of Chicago. During his rounds he stopped by any barbershop he found looking for work doing what he knew how to do best. Eventually he was hired at a small barbershop which unbeknownst to him, he was destined to buy and take over a few years later.
I was born in Mexico in 89' and came to this country through the desert in my moms arms shortly after. My brother was born two years later in Chicago at Mercy hospital. After moving from apartment to apartment for a while, we were raised in a strict but loving household by my parents in the apartment right above my dads shop--"Little Joe's Barbershop." Growing up my brother and I spent every weekend by my dads side--Saturday was my day, Sunday was for my brother. We grew up sweeping and brushing the hair off our clients backs after their haircuts. We would clean and listen, live, and learn. Together we watched him work long hours, long days, long weeks, long months, and long years. For many years my father did not take a day off, and everyday he was always the first one up and the last one to go to bed. He drove my brother and I to school every day, went to all of our report card pickups, and stopped by every one of our school performances, but summertime vacations were for my mother, my brother, and me. My father was relentless in his pursuit for success.
My father, with his 6th grade education put his two boys through a Gifted program all the way through 8th grade, a selective enrollment high school (go Dolphins!) and eventually got each of them a college degree, one from NorthEastern University and one from UIUC, AND taught them how to cut hair! Today my brother and I work as bilingual elementary school teachers in the city of Chicago and while we don't spend much time in the barbershop any more, we continue to groom young minds just in a metaphorical sense.
I say all of this to paint the picture of a man who could really use a break right about now. The funds from this campaign will go towards covering rent, utilities, employee salary, and will help pay for any modifications that will need to be made in order to make "Little Joe's" safer and more sanitary for their clientele once they resume operations again. With your help we are also looking to qualify for a $500 grant as part of GoFundMe's #SmallBusinessRelief efforts through which they are helping to raise money to benefit small businesses such as my dads.
Please know that any help received during this time will be infinitely appreciated and absolutely not forgotten. You can choose to get involved by donating to the campaign, or use this platform to pay for your future haircuts ahead of time. If you choose to do this please let us know and we will work something out at a later time. Thank you all so much for your support!
"Little Joe's Barbershop" looks forward to re-opening and seeing you all again soon!
Organizer
Bryan G Soto
Organizer
Chicago, IL