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Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS)

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Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS)

PAWS at Shanti Project keeps people and their companion animals together.
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PAWS, a program of Shanti Project, believes that the healing impact of the human-animal bond is one of the best supports available. Especially for those who are chronically ill, frail, and isolated by disease or age, a companion animal can be central to their health and well-being. Through your support, PAWS is able to provide needed companion animal services so more than 600 San Franciscans each year can continue to benefit from the healing power and unconditional love of their beloved pets.

07/31/2026

🐾 We’re thrilled to share that Shanti Project’s Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) Program has been selected as a 2026–2027 Staying Home Grant recipient by The Grey Muzzle Organization 🎉

Thanks to Grey Muzzle’s continued investment in our PAWS Program, we can expand critical support that helps senior dogs stay healthy, safe, and at home with the people who love them — including veterinary care assistance, pet food support, and crisis stabilization services.

PAWS provides early intervention and individualized case management to help prevent senior dog surrender before a crisis occurs. By keeping companion animals with their families, we not only improve the lives of pets and their people — we also help reduce pressure on an already overburdened animal shelter system.

The impact is clear: In our 2026 client survey, 93% of PAWS clients shared that our program prevented them from having to surrender their dog or cat. ❤️

We are deeply grateful to Grey Muzzle for standing with us and supporting the belief that every senior dog deserves compassionate care and the chance to stay home.

To learn more about Shanti Project's programs and services, go to https://www.shanti.org/

07/17/2026

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?

Shanti Project is looking for compassionate volunteers to join our team! Whether you want to provide peer support, assist with client services, or help out behind the scenes, your time and empathy can change a life.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲: A community-driven organization dedicated to supporting people facing life-threatening illnesses and isolation.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼: Receive training, build deep connections, and offer vital emotional and practical support.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Immeasurable.

Get involved today: https://www.shanti.org/volunteer/

06/25/2026

For 31 years, Wallace was Helen’s Pride. They built a life together filled with love, community, and countless memories. When Wallace passed away in 2024, the grief was overwhelming. “I became somewhat of a recluse,” Helen shared. “I felt very disconnected from Pride.”

But through loss, Helen discovered a new understanding of themself, coming out as non-binary and finding support through Shanti Project’s LGBTQ+ Aging and Abilities Support Network (LAASN).

When Helen faced some of life’s hardest moments — including saying goodbye to the cat they had shared with Wallace for 12 years — a Shanti volunteer named Danny stayed by their side. He sat with Helen at the vet's office, read aloud from *The Goodbye Book*, and reminded them that no one should have to navigate grief alone.

Later, Danny invited Helen to see a play Wallace had once taken them to years before. “That experience was profound,” Helen said. “I felt deeply connected to Wallace. I wish I got to experience it with Wallace — but I’m grateful I got to share it with Danny.”

This is what community looks like. This is what Pride looks like. Not just celebration. Not just a parade. But showing up for one another through grief, healing, identity, and connection.

As Pride Month comes to a close, the need doesn't end on June 30. Every day of the year, Shanti volunteers and staff help people facing isolation, illness, loss, and life-changing challenges find connection, support, and hope. Because everyone deserves someone beside them. Please consider making a gift today to help ensure this work continues 365 days a year (donation link in comments).

Read Helen's full story and the other inspiring stories featured in our Faces of Pride campaign at https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/

06/22/2026

When Mark was diagnosed with HIV during the early years of the epidemic, "I was told I wouldn't live long," he says. "So I just went with it."

After surviving a time when so many friends were lost and so much remained unknown about HIV, Mark stopped worrying about timelines. Instead, he learned to focus on what was right in front of him: one day at a time, one moment at a time.

Today, at 74, Mark continues to live with humor, resilience, and a deep appreciation for the connections that make life meaningful.

Through Shanti, Mark was matched with Peer Support Volunteer Crown. What began as a volunteer relationship grew into a genuine friendship built on laughter, companionship, and the simple act of showing up for one another.

Their story is a powerful reminder that connection matters.❤️ It helps combat isolation, strengthens community, and ensures that no one has to navigate life's challenges alone.

As part of our Faces of Pride series, we're honored to share Mark and Crown's story—and the many ways connection continues to transform lives. 🌈 Read their story, explore the full Faces of Pride series, and consider making a gift to help create more connections like this. https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/

One day at a time. One connection at a time. ❤️🏳️‍🌈

06/18/2026

For Johana, living authentically has always required courage. After fleeing violence as a transgender woman and later being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Johana found herself facing one of the darkest periods of her life.

Overwhelmed by depression, isolation, and suicidal thoughts, she reached out for help — a moment that led her to Shanti.

There, she met Millie, a Care Navigator who made her feel seen, supported, and safe. Through transportation assistance, home visits, support groups, and community connections, Johana began to find something she thought she had lost: hope.

“When I come to Shanti and talk with other women, I feel stronger,” Johana says. “I know I’m not alone.”

Today, Johana is not only a participant in Shanti's Spanish Health Chat group — she is also a source of strength for others navigating cancer. The compassion and dignity she received at Shanti inspired her to show up for others facing the same fears and uncertainty she once carried alone.

Now, through the Spanish Health Chat group, Johana helps create that same sense of connection she once needed most — offering encouragement, understanding, and hope to others in the midst of their own cancer journeys.

Pictured here is Johana now and then — a reflection of resilience, healing, and a life reclaimed.

Read Johana’s full story and explore the Faces of Pride series via this link: https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/

This Pride Month, your support helps ensure that people facing illness, isolation, and fear don’t have to do it alone. Consider making a gift to help us continue building connection, dignity, and care for those who need it most. ❤️🌈
https://www.shanti.org/donate/

06/17/2026

Over the past few months, we've had the privilege of helping bring Faces of Pride to life at Shanti Project—a collection of stories from LGBTQ+ clients, volunteers, staff, and allies whose lives have been shaped by connection, community, and care. Some lived through the AIDS epidemic. Some found community after isolation. Some discovered purpose through service. All remind us what is possible when people show up for one another.

These stories are filled with perseverance, strength, vulnerability, and an unwavering commitment to living authentically and unapologetically q***r. They are a reminder that Pride is more than a celebration—it's about community, visibility, and knowing that none of us are meant to navigate life's challenges alone.

We hope you'll take a few moments to read these incredible stories: https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/ 🌈. And if these stories move you, please consider making a gift to Shanti Project. Your support helps ensure that more people facing serious illness, isolation, disability, aging, or life's most difficult challenges have someone beside them when they need it most.

Because everyone deserves connection. Everyone deserves community. And no one should have to go through life's hardest moments alone.

Happy Pride 🩷🌈

06/16/2026

Three photos. One life. A story of courage, authenticity, and connection. A young boy in Cuba. A drag performer named Catherine White. A man standing proudly beside his HIV Care Navigator, Gio.

Three photos. One life transformed by authenticity, resilience, and connection.

As a young gay man in Cuba, Nelson often had to hide who he was. But when he stepped into the persona of Catherine White, he found something powerful: freedom. Through drag, he discovered a place where he could express himself fully, embrace joy, and feel at home in his own skin.

After moving to San Francisco in 1983, Nelson finally found the community he had long dreamed of. Yet like so many others, he also experienced profound loss during the AIDS epidemic, losing friends and chosen family along the way.

For decades, Shanti Project has been part of Nelson's story. Today, that support continues through his relationship with Gio, whose care, compassion, and presence remind us that healing often begins with human connection.

"Shanti gave me that feeling again," Nelson says. "Like I belonged."

This Pride Month, we celebrate both Nelson and Catherine White — two parts of the same remarkable person whose story reminds us that everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and loved exactly as they are.

Read Nelson's full story and explore the Faces of Pride series. Then help us continue building the connections that change lives every day.

🌈 Read more: https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/
❤️ Donate: https://www.shanti.org/donate/

06/11/2026

🌈 PRIDE IS THE POWER OF INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION🌈 At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Daralt opened his home to people living with AIDS who had nowhere else to go. He raised money for Shanti, cared for friends facing unimaginable challenges, and helped many return home to be with loved ones in their final days.

Today, at 81 years old, Daralt is connected to Shanti's LGBTQ+ Aging and Abilities Support Network (LAASN), where he found an unexpected friendship with Libby, a younger LGBTQ+ volunteer.

Though separated by generations, the two quickly discovered a shared passion: music.

After a quadruple bypass surgery, Daralt found a creative outlet remixing music on his computer. What began as a hobby grew into a passion he now shares online. Libby, a former band member herself, was immediately drawn into his world of beats, samples, and remixes. What started as volunteer visits soon became weekly jam sessions filled with creativity, laughter, and genuine connection.

Their relationship is a beautiful reminder that Pride is more than a celebration of who we are—it is about community, belonging, and the bonds that connect us across generations. Through a shared love of music, Daralt and Libby found friendship, family, and joy in one another.

At Shanti, we see every day how meaningful human connection can transform lives. Daralt and Libby's story is a powerful example of what happens when people come together through shared identity, shared humanity, and an openness to learn from one another.

🎵🌈 Read their full story—and explore all of our Faces of Pride features—at: https://www.shanti.org/our-impact/faces-of-pride/

If these stories inspire you, please consider making a gift to support the life-changing connections that Shanti creates every day: https://www.shanti.org/donate/

06/09/2026

Faces of Pride: Richard Goldman, Retired Physician Assistant, Care Navigator, and Current Member of Shanti Project’s Board of Directors

Richard Goldman's journey is one of Pride, resilience, and service. A retired Physician Assistant and Care Navigator, Richard now serves on Shanti Project's Board of Directors, helping ensure that the compassion and community that carried him through some of life's most difficult moments remain available for others.

Richard first felt a profound sense of Pride in 1972 while attending college in New York City. Newly out, he met a man named Elliot at a classical music concert. The two held hands and kissed on a city street.

"I felt so proud," Richard recalls.

Years later, Pride took on a different meaning. Following his AIDS and cancer diagnoses, Richard worried he would no longer be able to participate in the celebrations and community that had meant so much to him. During that difficult time, he was matched with Simon, a Shanti Peer Support Volunteer who ensured he didn't have to navigate those challenges alone.

In 1991, Simon accompanied Richard to Pride festivities during a time when many friends and community members had already been lost to AIDS. "It was a very emotional time," Richard remembers. "There were groups in the parade representing those living with AIDS. They represented loss, grief, and love."

The support Richard received through Shanti changed his life. After recovering, he gave back as a volunteer, support group facilitator, trainer, Care Navigator, and today, as a member of Shanti's Board of Directors.

Richard's story reminds us that Pride is more than celebration. It is community. It is showing up for one another. And sometimes, it is the presence of a single person who helps us find strength when we need it most.

To learn more about Richard and the dedicated leaders who serve on Shanti's Board of Directors, discover ways to get involved, or support our mission, visit: https://www.shanti.org/

06/03/2026

For Ray Booth, volunteering with Shanti Project's PAWS Food Bank is about more than delivering pet food — it's about creating connection. One delivery brought him to a client grieving the loss of a beloved cat and hoping to find another companion animal. Ray connected the client with Shanti staff, who were able to support the request. On another visit, he was entrusted with delivering the ashes of a cherished pet. In those moments, Ray witnessed firsthand the profound bond between people and their animals.

“Each delivery is amazing. You never know who is going to show up when you bring them food,” Ray says. Through every visit, he's seen how PAWS provides more than food — it helps people maintain a source of love, comfort, and companionship during life's most difficult times.

This Pride Month, we celebrate volunteers like Ray, whose commitment reflects the spirit of community, compassion, and human connection. “In a time that feels cold and cruel, this is ground level. It's doing things for people to make their lives easier.” ❤️🏳️‍🌈

To learn more about Shanti Project's programs and services, volunteer opportunities, and ways to donate, visit: https://www.shanti.org/

Address

27 Maiden Lane/Suite 400
San Francisco, CA
94108

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 6pm
Saturday	10:30am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+14159799550

Website

https://www.shanti.org/paws

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