09. Spotlight : with Paul Crowell // The Dog Food Man

WELCOME TO EPISODE 09. OF GET YOUR HEART ON!

“When you can start giving to someone else and caring for someone else, it’s just wonderful, nothing else compares to giving. …especially how I do, to someone that can never repay you. And you’re not doing something to get something. You’re just doing something from your heart. That’s the essence of kindness to me.” – Paul Crowell

In this Spotlight feature, I can’t tell you how beyond excited I am for you to meet today’s more than inspiring, guest.

….you know when you just saw the best movie ever or you have that favorite book you read and you want to run around and tell everyone about it. Today’s guest, Paul Crowell is my favorite right now and has been since I first heard his story.

As an extremely passionate animal lover and rescue advocate, there’s nothing I love more than anyone who wants to help our furry friends. So when I first heard about Paul and what he was doing to help pets of the homeless I literally started telling anyone and everyone about him and his gigantic heart. And I’m hoping after today’s episode he’ll be one of your favorites too!

Paul is the founder of the nonprofit, Project Open Paw that is dedicated to feeding and taking care of the furry companions of the homeless in San Francisco where he lives.

He has also been featured in stories and on the news, he is a gofundme hero and was the recipient of The Jefferson Award of The Bay Area in 2018.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, go somewhere cozy, kickback and push play. This is a longer episode but it’s so worth it. There’s so much inspiration, helpful advice, and wisdom for those with a big heart. It’s all about how one person can make an invaluable difference in the lives of others and what we can do to help.

HIGHLIGHTS // SHOW NOTES

• Getting to know Paul – What he does and why he does it – So many inspiring stories!
• How Project Open Paw got started + what’s needed to keep it going.
• Using social media for good + storytelling + creating connection with the homeless community he serves.
• How becoming a gofundme hero doubled his impact + what specifically we can do to help! – So many ideas! So many ways to pitch in! (see below)
• And you’ll want to stay to the end to find out Paul’s #1 tip for anyone that wants to do make a difference in their own way. As well as who has made a difference to Paul in his life. – Thank you Paul!

GET YOUR HEART ON // CALL TO ACTION //

In every Spotlight episode, I’m going to ask my guest if there’s one way we can collectively Get Our Hearts On to help them to help someone or pay it forward right now.

CALL TO ACT // DO THIS

PROJECT OPEN PAW

• Donate
• Like Facebook page + you can donate here too!
• Follow along on Instagram
• Shop the Amazon wishlist
• Become a Go Fund Me Hero – Monthly donor
• Spread the word

HELP WANTED // HERE’S HOW

• 1 Gallon Hefty Bag Sponsor
• Storage Facility Donation
• Website Designer
• Grant Writer
• Fundraising Support
• Donate items for live events
• Food Donations
• Medical Expenses + Supplies
• Corporate / Business / Individual Donor
• PR + MKTG
• PRESS! Who knows Ellen? Let’s let her know ALL about Paul!
• Let’s help Project Open Paw by spreading the word!

All you gotta do is click on this link to start by liking The Project Open Paw FB Page and Get Your Heart On however you are inspired to do so! If you know someone who could do more or you have ANY ideas for Paul please comment below or reach out to either one of us to let us know. Thank you so much!! We couldn’t do this without you!

RESOURCES // LINKS //

• Project Open Paw – The website
• Project Open Paw – Go Fund Me
• The Amazon Wishlist – Go shopping for food, blankets, toys + more!
• Facebook – Like this page!
• Instagram – Follow along

And a big thank you to the SFSPCA – The vet hospital that Paul trusts + loves! We’re so grateful for all of you!

Paul, Thank you for spending your invaluable time with us! Big hugs + so much love to you all that you continue to do. And thank you to everyone who’s here with us!

I hope you are even more inspired to get that big heart of yours out there and into action!

So much Gratitude,
: ) gia

P.S. Make sure to hit SUBSCRIBE on Apple podcasts or wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. And if you want me to also personally let you know when a new episode comes out all you have to do is sign up right here and I’ve got you!