Our business opened with just two founders in 2017. Entrepreneurship was a way to keep caring for our families whilst becoming disabled and unable to work due to disabling conditions at the time.

We quickly realized that as already marginalized folks, entrepreneurship is HARD. We needed to call in the help of our friends, family and so many other loved ones. It took us three years before anyone would even give us a business checking account and credit card! With neither of us being wealthy, having no collateral and having a business that provides services not goods...we were shit out of luck for any financial help.

Since 2017, we've applied for countless free and low cost services. We've applied for over 100 different grants, peer to peer supports, microloans and traditional loans. Never receiving a single one for our business. But we kept pushing on, we kept building community.

We realized that no one in the animal welfare sector had any mutual aid initiatives so we started one called our DEIJ Fund. In 2022, our DEIJ Fund really amped up because so many people either with animals in their care or working within animal professions reached out for help. In 2022, people contributed $4,967 to our DEIJ Fund. However, because so many people needed aid, we (LAB) gave back a total of $11,667 to communities in great need.

This left us with a total debt of $6,700. We have worked off about 2K of that debt but that leaves us with an outstanding debt (rounding down) of $4,700 we need help paying off. You might be saying, "well YOU chose to rack up that debt" and you're partially right. However, that debt is not something we regret. As marginalized peoples ourselves, we do not regret all the people and pets we kept fed, housed, clothed, and cared for last year. LAB is still one of the only businesses in several industries we work within that have a mutual aid fund. That is NOT a brag, that is an upsetting fact. We are all responsible for caring for the world around us. 

We take this responsibility seriously at LAB and understand that whilst we do not like we are in this position, it is not something we feel any shame for either. As caring for the world around us is ALL of our responsibility. People and pets are alive today because of our DEIJ Fund. Living under capitalism is hell for many of us but especially those of us who live in identities that are marginalized in multiple ways. We're asking those of you with extra money each month to help save our co-op. 

We are hoping to raise a total of $4,700 before the end of 2023 to keep our co-op running. To be able to show the IRS that we are not a hobby and mutual aid works even under capitalism.