The Ingleside Merchants Association’s Ocean Avenue Vandalism Fund Gofundme campaign reached its goal of raising $3,000 to support three merchants whose storefront windows were repeatedly smashed in June.
“This is an amazing example of the Ocean Avenue small business community coming together,” Ingleside Merchants Association secretary-treasurer and Ocean Ale House employee Neil Ballard told the Ingleside Light. “These break-ins have been rough and the money will lessen the financial burden on impacted businesses.”
In an update posted on Monday, June 28, IMA thanked supporters and requested more donations, stating that all extra funds would be disbursed to other merchants who also suffered vandalism. [Disclosure: The Ingleside Light is a founding member of the association.]
The small businesses IMA is supporting are Nails by Lisa, Serge-a-Lot and Monza Pizzeria. The vandal who shattered their windows was arrested last week. However, Monza Pizza had its window smashed again.
Travel Station police are investigating the incident.
“Eight times having to spend money I dont have,” Monza Pizzeria owner Juraci Filho told the Ingleside Light. Since acquiring the business two years ago, Filho has had to replace windows after eight separate incidents.
Several other merchants had their windows smashed in other neighborhoods. In Ingleside, Lucky Ocean Cafe on the 1500 block of Ocean Avenue had a window smashed on Monday. Chase Luck on the 1300 block of Ocean Avenue had all of its windows smashed.
District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar aide Megan Imperial said at the monthly Resilient District 7 meeting that the supervisor called San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott to ensure police are patrolling at night. She also said the supervisor will meet with Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director Kate Sofis to ensure there is support for Ocean Avenue merchants.
The San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development will launch a fund to assist small businesses that have been vandalized sometime after July 1.
IMA has been passing out “Who to Call” posters that help business owners and employees identify what city service to seek in different situations. The organization has also been advocating for more security on the corridor. For more information about IMA, visit inglesidemerchants.com.
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