Steve Galindo Support Fund
Donation protected
Starting this GoFundMe for Steve Galindo was an easy decision that I’m sure all of you will understand.
For those of you who may not know, earlier this week Steve and many other of his colleagues were fired by Barnes and Noble as a cost cutting measure by the company.
Steve worked for Barnes and Noble for 17 years and not only was an incredible asset to the company, but was widely known for his weekly Storytimes in his community.
Having worked at bookstores for a very long time (Barnes and Noble being one of them) I can tell you the amount of effort and fun that Steve put into these Storytimes was above and beyond what I’ve seen in any other store. He went out of his way to make sure every kid felt special and to spark a lifelong joy of reading into their lives.
Speaking of ‘above and beyond’, Steve also won an award from B&N called the “Above and Beyond” award for going to incredible lengths in his Storytime and day to day job.
Steve was told repeatedly by management that he was an amazing employee and he would never have to worry about losing his job. Not only that, but later on management begged Steve to become a recieving manager and give up his position as Kids Lead in the store. He didn’t want this position, but he knew that the store needed him, so he switched into a job that he wasn’t as passionate about for the good of Barnes and Noble.
To top off Steve’s STELLAR work ethic and loyalty to the company, Barnes and Noble even featured a full page article about him in the corporate magazine and lauded him the “King of Storytimes”.
Funny and goofy, able to engage children with stories and laughter, Steve made everyone’s day a little brighter at his local B&N. Not only that, the store was robbed at gunpoint 8 years prior and the police chief on the scene said his “calm demeanor and bravery saved lives.” He still deals with PTSD from the encounter to this day, while spreading joy to those around him whenever he can.
All of this, and without any notice whatsoever, after 17 years of incredible and loyal service to Barnes & Noble - he was fired on the spot.
Steve has a wife and 5 children that could use our help in the coming weeks. I know times are tough for us all, but any small amount that you can spare for Steve and his family would be appreciated more than you know.
The book community sometimes feels like a small one, but when something like this happens to one of us, it resonates with all of us. If you can’t donate, please share this link. Spreading his story and this page helps just as much!
I asked Steve if it would be okay for me to start a GoFundMe because I desperately wanted to help, and while he was hesitant (as any of us would be) he gave me the go ahead to tell his story. Steve didn’t expect much to come from it, and mostly wanted to share what had happened to him. Contrary to what most would think, he loved Barnes & Noble and this is heartbreaking for him more than anything else.
Most of this was derived from his Twitter thread from earlier. If you’d like to see his story and more photos, head that way.
For those of you who may not know, earlier this week Steve and many other of his colleagues were fired by Barnes and Noble as a cost cutting measure by the company.
Steve worked for Barnes and Noble for 17 years and not only was an incredible asset to the company, but was widely known for his weekly Storytimes in his community.
Having worked at bookstores for a very long time (Barnes and Noble being one of them) I can tell you the amount of effort and fun that Steve put into these Storytimes was above and beyond what I’ve seen in any other store. He went out of his way to make sure every kid felt special and to spark a lifelong joy of reading into their lives.
Speaking of ‘above and beyond’, Steve also won an award from B&N called the “Above and Beyond” award for going to incredible lengths in his Storytime and day to day job.
Steve was told repeatedly by management that he was an amazing employee and he would never have to worry about losing his job. Not only that, but later on management begged Steve to become a recieving manager and give up his position as Kids Lead in the store. He didn’t want this position, but he knew that the store needed him, so he switched into a job that he wasn’t as passionate about for the good of Barnes and Noble.
To top off Steve’s STELLAR work ethic and loyalty to the company, Barnes and Noble even featured a full page article about him in the corporate magazine and lauded him the “King of Storytimes”.
Funny and goofy, able to engage children with stories and laughter, Steve made everyone’s day a little brighter at his local B&N. Not only that, the store was robbed at gunpoint 8 years prior and the police chief on the scene said his “calm demeanor and bravery saved lives.” He still deals with PTSD from the encounter to this day, while spreading joy to those around him whenever he can.
All of this, and without any notice whatsoever, after 17 years of incredible and loyal service to Barnes & Noble - he was fired on the spot.
Steve has a wife and 5 children that could use our help in the coming weeks. I know times are tough for us all, but any small amount that you can spare for Steve and his family would be appreciated more than you know.
The book community sometimes feels like a small one, but when something like this happens to one of us, it resonates with all of us. If you can’t donate, please share this link. Spreading his story and this page helps just as much!
I asked Steve if it would be okay for me to start a GoFundMe because I desperately wanted to help, and while he was hesitant (as any of us would be) he gave me the go ahead to tell his story. Steve didn’t expect much to come from it, and mostly wanted to share what had happened to him. Contrary to what most would think, he loved Barnes & Noble and this is heartbreaking for him more than anything else.
Most of this was derived from his Twitter thread from earlier. If you’d like to see his story and more photos, head that way.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kelly Brantley
Organizer
Virginia Beach, VA
Esteban Galindo
Beneficiary
