Rebuild Akimbo Bookshop

It had only been eight months since Akimbo Bookshop opened and immediately created a community of care, art, music, and social justice education. But as some of you know, we closed our doors one week ago due to a fire in our building.

Early in the morning on January 4th there was a fire at 320 East Avenue, where Akimbo Bookshop was located. The damage was severe enough that everything in the shop has been deemed “unsalvageable” –– all of the books, the furniture, appliances, and other equipment. As several firefighters and assessors have simply stated, “This was a very bad fire.” What may not look as bad from the outside is tremendously ruinous on the inside.

Insurance doesn’t cover even a small percentage of the damages. A lot was lost and, after many phone calls and confirmations on the policy, we know that this is financially devastating to the shop and to Rachel personally. She doesn’t know how she’s going to pay her own bills, much less rebuild the store. But more than anything, it has been traumatizing, emotionally taxing, and she wants the community we built back.

So after a week of deliberating, we’re finally asking for your help. Anything you can give, please consider so that we can rebuild and recover.

Together, we created an incredible community. Akimbo hosted about 50 events in roughly eight months: author readings and book signings, lectures, artist Q&As, several mutual aid events and skill shares, yoga, and so much more. Akimbo gave back as much as possible.

Folks have been sending Rachel messages telling her that this was their safe space, whether because of anxiety, marginality, or just feeling like a misfit –– Akimbo was a place for us all to just be who we were.

Which is why we’re going to start it back up.

We just want our community back. It was the people who made Akimbo what it was.

Look friends, there’s a massive loss even to get back to net zero but we know we’re being held.

We’re going to roll up our sleeves, grab the paint rollers again, and open Akimbo (hopefully)

TWICE

IN

ONE

YEAR.

Tell us what you miss about the shop and what you can’t wait for going forward.

Let’s get our bookstore wishlist going now!

It’s going to be ok, but it’s going to get harder before it is.