Hello friends and neighbours, this GoFundMe is to try and raise money to help Denman Shoe Repair forgo having to close, while the owner recovers from emergency eye surgery.

Some background

Daniel Kim, the current owner of Denman Shoe Repair, and before him his father HeungSeo Kim, have been operating their family business on Denman Street since 2011, with Daniel running the business since his father retired a few years ago. Over the past 15 years, the Kim’s have provided a needed service to the West End with a friendly approach and affordable pricing.

Businesses like this are so important to a thriving local economy, and essential to maintaining a sense of connection in a community and neighbourhood like the West End.

My name is Kevin, and I’ve been going to Denman Shoe Repair since I moved to the West End in 2019. Over the years Daniel and I have struck up a friendship, and I have come to deeply appreciate the service that he provides to this community.

Daniel texted me on the morning of Friday August 21 to let me know that he was going to be having emergency eye surgery for a detached retina, later that morning. Thankfully the surgery went well and Daniel is now resting and in recovery mode.

In addition to running the business, Daniel has two young daughters, aged 8 and 2, and is also a Pastor at a Korean church in Burnaby. During his recovery period he will need to step down from both of his work roles.

At this point, Daniel doesn't know how long he will have to be off for his recovery, and he is very worried they may lose the business while he’s unable to work. His father will be able to help at the shop a little bit through this period, but HeungSeo is retired and has his own capacity limitations.

Denman Shoe Repair is a family run business, the loss of which, after losing the convenience store on the corner of Denman and Barclay a while back, would be a real hit to this community, so let’s help keep this local business going.

Our fundraising goal

We’re hoping that the West End community will pitch in to raise enough funds so that the Kims can cover their business costs for at least the next two months, as Daniel recovers.

Our immediate goal is to try and raise $16,000, which sounds like a lot, but is what’s needed to cover the costs of the business and keep it from closing for a couple of months.

All proceeds from this GoFundMe will go towards the costs of the business during Daniel's recovery from surgery. Please pitch in if you can, to help keep this cherished family business open, any amount is welcome.

Please also share this GoFundMe with others who live in the West End.

With thanks, Kevin Millsip, (on behalf of the Kims)