Family business looted during Pittsburgh riots

My name is Juli Barbara, I am hoping to help raise money to assist a locally owned small family business that was broken into, looted and trashed during the May 30, 2020 riot in Pittsburgh, Pa. 
The Piel family are personal friends, who are always there to help out others. I'm hoping that we can pull together and show our support. If you are unable to contribute, we ask that you please keep them in your prayers as they try to rebuild.

Here is their story....


It is a story that starts nearly 40 years ago, when Jim Piel, the son of a steel worker, decided to take a shot at the American dream. After serving his country in the Vietnam War, Jim returned to Pittsburgh to start a family.  As his family obligations grew, he decided to risk everything on taking over a small jewelry business in the iconic downtown Clark building.  Embassy diamond was born in 1984. It was tough sledding at first, but Jim (or Pap as his 6 grandchildren call him) was determined to secure a comfortable life for his family. His wife and children would assist at the store, and later his son, Brian, would became his partner of nearly 25 years. Trouble first struck when Jim suffered a brain infection in June of 2019. Although he was advised that he would most likely never work again and might not ever walk again, he defied the odds and fought back through a year of intensive rehabilitation with the goal of returning to work with his son.   Medical bills mounted and operating the store at half capacity for nearly a year was a challenge, but the Piel family has rallied and persisted.  In March, like many other local businesses, Embassy Diamond was forced to close during the Corona Virus lockdown.  Shortly after the Piels were able to reopen, Jim’s first day back at work was Friday May 29th.  The next day, rioters trashed the store and stole a significant portion of the store’s inventory. While respectful that everyone is struggling through these difficult times, it can’t go without noticing that the Piel family business has been uniquely hard-hit. Family owned, non-chain jewelry stores are an integral part of the social fabric of our community. Many Pittsburghers have utilized the Piel’s street-front convenient location in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh to purchase a once in a lifetime engagement ring or simply to get a new battery for their watch. The Piel family is hardworking and determined to weather this storm; however, the cost to repair their store and replace inventory could be insurmountable without a modest degree of generosity through this “go fund me” request. If Pittsburgh loses Embassy Diamond, it will be losing a piece of what makes Pittsburgh great.  Thank you.