Volunteers help mom and pop shops
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Local restaurants are struggling. Some are doing carry out while others are forced to close.
One local woman is volunteering her time to keep one of her favorite spots open.
“I just feel very lucky. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to even be in the position to help other people,” said local realtor B.J. White. With more time on her hands, she wanted to give back to her community so she threw a curbside cookout. “I grilled burgers and brats and served them in gloves.” Thirty people stopped by.
This made her wonder how she could channel that energy into local businesses.
“So, I called up my friend Hadi, and I said how would you feel if I just volunteered three hours of my time and just promoted your business and help deliver prepared meals to the curb if they called in their order?”
Without hesitation, the owner of Cornerstone Deli said yes. “They are the epitome of a Clintonville staple mom and pop restaurant. We would like to have more of those fill the buildings in the empty lots along the high street corridor,” said White.
On a good day number of salads and sandwiches sold could be a mortgage payment. Right now, times are extra tough. “He has had to lay off his staff so if we were to give him a boost of business where would that staff come from? Well, it could come from someone like me.”
She hopes others will do the same. “I just want people to take this time to pause to say if you were gone we would really miss you,” White said. “He loves people and he loves Clintonville. I want to see people celebrate his business and I don’t think he would want to have that business anywhere else.”