Help continues to pour in for La Mesa businesses damaged in May by violence that followed peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd.
Final relief checks will be distributed to 23 businesses in the La Mesa Springs Shopping Center on August 11 from the fund administrators of the La Mesa Disaster Recovery Fund.
Recipients suffered damages during civil unrest overnight on May 30 and May 31. Steve Clay is owner of the La Mesa Postal Annex. His business was one of many in the shopping center that were broken into and looted.
“We had glass everywhere throughout the store, we spent all weekend cleaning everything up” said Clay.
Members of the community showed up the next day to volunteer and help clean up the aftermath of the protests.
Part of this act of kindness was setting up the GoFundMe account that has now exceeded $260,000 in donations, from over 2,000 donors to help business owners with the cost of the damages.
The La Mesa Disaster Recovery Fund was created using a GoFundMe page by El Cajon City Councilmember Phil Ortiz on behalf of the East County Chamber of Commerce Foundation. It was meant to help businesses recover from the opportunistic violence and looting following peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations in La Mesa.
“I am not surprised by the tremendous response from East County,” said Ortiz. “Our community has rallied time and again. When tragedy strikes we always step up and engage.”
Final distribution honors the promise made by fund administrators on a single priority — to oversee “fair, fast, and equitable” distribution of the funds donated by hundreds of people to help make the victims of criminal acts whole.
Thirty-five businesses have received $5,000 in relief distribution. After registration closed on July 24, GoFundMe released the remaining balance to the fund administrators. After a final accounting, 23 recipients will receive a second check for $3,750.
Twelve business owners declined a second check, asking that their "share" be contributed back to the fund to help business owners still in need of help.
The fund reached $50,000 in a single day, and $100,000 by the second day. With additional corporate donations, the fund total now stands at $261,626.
Several large donors added contributions including:
$25,000 — SDG&E (through the San Diego Foundation)
$10,000 — The Marvin Arnold & Irene Jaquetta Heye Community Enrichment Fund (through the San Diego Foundation)
$5,000 — California Coast Credit Union
$5,000 — Bill Drew
$5,000 — EDCO
$5,000 — Penske
$5,000 — Sycuan Casino Resort
$5,000 —eeeee Taylor Pilz and her team selling La Mesa Strong T-Shirts
