Support for the Ramos Family
Donation protected
On Thursday night, May 28th, as thousands of people took to the streets to protest the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, a group of looters attacked businesses on Lake Street. Sol Travel Inc., owned by Mireya Bustamente and Camilo Ramos, was one of the small businesses that fell victim to the violence. While Mireya was still in the office conducting business, men smashed windows, stole cash and inventory, and eventually burned everything else. One of the services that Sol Travel provided was money wiring, especially important to the immigrant community that relied on them to send money to family back home.
The next night, Friday May 29th, another group of violent rioters attacked Mireya and Camilo’s neighborhood. They and their two young daughters were fortunately not home at the time to witness the shocking violence of the attack. A group of people threw bricks through the windows, turned on the taps to flood their house, stole anything of value, and broke or burned everything else in the front yard.
Their car was later stolen along with all the items they had been able to salvage from the fire, including family photos and personal and business computers. They were in the process of loading the car when it was taken.
The family has been through so much in the past couple weeks and our goal is to help them recover some of what they have worked for years to build. Mireya and Camilo want to get back to work again and ensure a sense of normalcy for their daughters after all of this trauma.
The storefront is being repaired and people from the Lake Country School community have been donating food, clothing, and office equipment. We are hoping to raise sufficient funds to replace the inventory of cell phones, office supplies, furniture, and cash that was stolen from their business. They will need to pay to rebuild the interior of their office space.
They will also need to replace all the essential items for their home and pay for temporary housing while their home is being repaired as it is currently uninhabitable.
The family is facing so many obstacles and really must start from scratch as they lost nearly everything they own. Initially, they did not want to ask for help, but they really need the support of the community to get back on their feet and make it through this incredibly difficult time.
Immigrants bring so much to the Minneapolis community, and immigrant-owned businesses are one of the things that make the Lake Street Corridor so vibrant. Mireya and Camilo’s business aims to provide their own community with support and they hope to get back to improving the lives of others soon.
We appreciate whatever you can contribute to the Ramos family so they can return to work and their home.
For more information, read:
Twin Cities businesses reel from the nights of violence while on guard for more
-Organized with help from Rachel Schmitt (Mireya's former English teacher) and Nicole Frost (a friend from the girls' school)
Before (streetview):
Damages:
The next night, Friday May 29th, another group of violent rioters attacked Mireya and Camilo’s neighborhood. They and their two young daughters were fortunately not home at the time to witness the shocking violence of the attack. A group of people threw bricks through the windows, turned on the taps to flood their house, stole anything of value, and broke or burned everything else in the front yard.
Their car was later stolen along with all the items they had been able to salvage from the fire, including family photos and personal and business computers. They were in the process of loading the car when it was taken.
The family has been through so much in the past couple weeks and our goal is to help them recover some of what they have worked for years to build. Mireya and Camilo want to get back to work again and ensure a sense of normalcy for their daughters after all of this trauma.
The storefront is being repaired and people from the Lake Country School community have been donating food, clothing, and office equipment. We are hoping to raise sufficient funds to replace the inventory of cell phones, office supplies, furniture, and cash that was stolen from their business. They will need to pay to rebuild the interior of their office space.
They will also need to replace all the essential items for their home and pay for temporary housing while their home is being repaired as it is currently uninhabitable.
The family is facing so many obstacles and really must start from scratch as they lost nearly everything they own. Initially, they did not want to ask for help, but they really need the support of the community to get back on their feet and make it through this incredibly difficult time.
Immigrants bring so much to the Minneapolis community, and immigrant-owned businesses are one of the things that make the Lake Street Corridor so vibrant. Mireya and Camilo’s business aims to provide their own community with support and they hope to get back to improving the lives of others soon.
We appreciate whatever you can contribute to the Ramos family so they can return to work and their home.
For more information, read:
Twin Cities businesses reel from the nights of violence while on guard for more
-Organized with help from Rachel Schmitt (Mireya's former English teacher) and Nicole Frost (a friend from the girls' school)
Before (streetview):
Damages:
Organizer and beneficiary
Mireya Bustamente
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Mireya Bustamante
Beneficiary
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