COVID Relief for the Garcia Family
Donation protected
I want to lead with this: Jesse Garcia is my brother and did not (would NEVER) ask me to create this page. I am sharing it without his knowledge and hiding it from him on social media.
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If you don't know Jesse Garcia and what he's all about, I encourage you to watch this piece from 2018, interviewing him about the part he plays as a small business owner in Columbia Missouri's once vibrant downtown: Meet CoMo Jesse & Heather Garcia
This is a great little bio, but what it fails to highlight is Jesse and his family's focus on giving back and shoring up their community. They have been mindful participants in the local small business scene, active donors to the Rainbow House emergency shelter for children (and others!), and joyful philanthropists, practicing generosity as a matter of lifestyle.
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year of unprecedented loss for any small business owner, especially those who offer drinking and dining. Bar and restaurant owners like Jesse and his family have been abused by local governments, suffering alongside the community they helped build. After being forced to close The Penguin Piano Bar and Night Club a few months into the pandemic, Jesse and his family (Heather, Roxy, Paul, and Diego) dug in and pored themselves into The Social Room, his speakeasy style bar turned restaurant with online ordering and meal delivery overnight.
Two weeks before Christmas, Jesse and his son contracted COVID, and the Social Room responsibly closed to quarantine. While Paul had a milder case, Jesse has required some treatment and is experiencing the debilitating fatigue so many report with COVID. Unfortunately, The Social Room's lifeline is feeling rather lifeless, and it's hard to imagine a worse time for this to occur.
I am asking for donations to help my brother make it to the other side of this pandemic. I am asking because this is the face of bar and restaurant owners across America, and maybe, like me, you are looking for a way to make a big difference in the lives of real people, like Jesse and his family. Without the assistance of donors like you, another small business will close and while Jesse's family certainly can't afford it, the city of Columbia can't afford to lose another awesome small business like Jesse's either.
...
If you don't know Jesse Garcia and what he's all about, I encourage you to watch this piece from 2018, interviewing him about the part he plays as a small business owner in Columbia Missouri's once vibrant downtown: Meet CoMo Jesse & Heather Garcia
This is a great little bio, but what it fails to highlight is Jesse and his family's focus on giving back and shoring up their community. They have been mindful participants in the local small business scene, active donors to the Rainbow House emergency shelter for children (and others!), and joyful philanthropists, practicing generosity as a matter of lifestyle.
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year of unprecedented loss for any small business owner, especially those who offer drinking and dining. Bar and restaurant owners like Jesse and his family have been abused by local governments, suffering alongside the community they helped build. After being forced to close The Penguin Piano Bar and Night Club a few months into the pandemic, Jesse and his family (Heather, Roxy, Paul, and Diego) dug in and pored themselves into The Social Room, his speakeasy style bar turned restaurant with online ordering and meal delivery overnight.
Two weeks before Christmas, Jesse and his son contracted COVID, and the Social Room responsibly closed to quarantine. While Paul had a milder case, Jesse has required some treatment and is experiencing the debilitating fatigue so many report with COVID. Unfortunately, The Social Room's lifeline is feeling rather lifeless, and it's hard to imagine a worse time for this to occur.
I am asking for donations to help my brother make it to the other side of this pandemic. I am asking because this is the face of bar and restaurant owners across America, and maybe, like me, you are looking for a way to make a big difference in the lives of real people, like Jesse and his family. Without the assistance of donors like you, another small business will close and while Jesse's family certainly can't afford it, the city of Columbia can't afford to lose another awesome small business like Jesse's either.
Organizer and beneficiary
Hannah Werner
Organizer
Belleville, IL
Jesse Garcia
Beneficiary