Hazel's in need of Relocating
Donation protected
My name is Hazel and I'm seeking help for the funds to relocate and open a Bakery/Deli in the Ocean City area.
I’ve been running a successful business since 2008 when my husband, M., and I opened our first restaurant. I’ve worked in restaurants for 30 years and owning my own restaurant had always been a dream of mine. So when M. and I decided to open our own establishment, I was overjoyed and so eager to see so many years of hard work and food industry acumen come to fruition.
And all our hard work paid off. Through seven years and ultimately two restaurant locations, he and I grew our business and built up a solid reputation in the area.
Then my husband deserted me and the business and left me in debt.
I thought we were happy. Business was great. My husband and his family emigrated from Turkey and I helped him get his brothers here, legally. But once my husband was sworn in as a United States citizen, he and I started to have problems.
He and his family were uncomfortable with my role within the business. In Turkey, women are expected to obey their husbands and focus on home-life while men handle entrepreneurship. They wanted me to walk away from my business and hand it over to them. But I'm an independent American woman who has worked incredibly hard to build a good life for myself, my children, and my grandchildren. I stood my ground and refused to step away from the business and the dream that was over thirty years of experience in the making.
M. and I had trouble at home, too. I can no longer bear children, a fact M. knew when we were first married twelve years ago. Suddenly, he wanted children.
I suggested adoption; that was out of the question. I suggested surrogacy; that was also a ‘no’. His religion wouldn’t allow those things-- but would allow a second wife. Obviously that wasn’t happening, so six months later, on the busiest day of the year, he and his family did their best to sabotage the business he and I worked so hard to build.
Sundays are already our busiest day of the week-- so of course you can imagine the high demand for a place that delivers pizza and wings on Super Bowl Sunday! That day, he and his brothers simply never showed up for work.
I was devastated.
I had no kitchen crew.
And I had no marriage.
That day turned out to be one of the busiest days we’ve ever had. Somehow, the staff and I managed to pull together and make it through, but such a blatant act of sabotage went a long way in ruining the wonderful reputation I had worked so hard to build over seven years in business. Which was exactly what they had intended.
What remained of our reputation was eventually shredded when he and his family opened a diner right down the street-- with my menu. They spread rumors-- told my customers we had closed down and that we had insect infestations. And continued to do their best to convince me to hand over my dreams.
All of this started because I refused to step away from the business I worked thirty years to create.
M. ruined my life. I was devoted to him for twelve years only to discover i asume he was lying to me the entire time. I gave him so much, and I gave his family so much, and I’m sick and disgusted that anyone is actually capable of conning someone like he conned me.
It’s been 18 months and I’m over the depression and hurt. Now I need help to pick myself up, dust myself off, and put my nose back to the grindstone.
When M. left, he not only took my kitchen staff, my menu, and my marriage, he also took an undisclosed amount of cash all of wich was suposed to pay bills-- and left me in debt. I'm sure thats what they opened the Diner with. Now I’m struggling to pay everything off and start fresh. And it’s not just my livelihood at stake-- if we close down, ten hard-working, honest people will find themselves out of a job.
M. may have tried his best to knock me down and pull the rug from under my feet, but I’m still standing. I’ve run a successful business before and I know I can do it again-- I just need a little help. I need a bailout!!!
So if you can, please lend me a hand and help me rebuild the dream they tried so hard to destroy.
Thank you, and God bless.
I will gladly pay it foward!
I’ve been running a successful business since 2008 when my husband, M., and I opened our first restaurant. I’ve worked in restaurants for 30 years and owning my own restaurant had always been a dream of mine. So when M. and I decided to open our own establishment, I was overjoyed and so eager to see so many years of hard work and food industry acumen come to fruition.
And all our hard work paid off. Through seven years and ultimately two restaurant locations, he and I grew our business and built up a solid reputation in the area.
Then my husband deserted me and the business and left me in debt.
I thought we were happy. Business was great. My husband and his family emigrated from Turkey and I helped him get his brothers here, legally. But once my husband was sworn in as a United States citizen, he and I started to have problems.
He and his family were uncomfortable with my role within the business. In Turkey, women are expected to obey their husbands and focus on home-life while men handle entrepreneurship. They wanted me to walk away from my business and hand it over to them. But I'm an independent American woman who has worked incredibly hard to build a good life for myself, my children, and my grandchildren. I stood my ground and refused to step away from the business and the dream that was over thirty years of experience in the making.
M. and I had trouble at home, too. I can no longer bear children, a fact M. knew when we were first married twelve years ago. Suddenly, he wanted children.
I suggested adoption; that was out of the question. I suggested surrogacy; that was also a ‘no’. His religion wouldn’t allow those things-- but would allow a second wife. Obviously that wasn’t happening, so six months later, on the busiest day of the year, he and his family did their best to sabotage the business he and I worked so hard to build.
Sundays are already our busiest day of the week-- so of course you can imagine the high demand for a place that delivers pizza and wings on Super Bowl Sunday! That day, he and his brothers simply never showed up for work.
I was devastated.
I had no kitchen crew.
And I had no marriage.
That day turned out to be one of the busiest days we’ve ever had. Somehow, the staff and I managed to pull together and make it through, but such a blatant act of sabotage went a long way in ruining the wonderful reputation I had worked so hard to build over seven years in business. Which was exactly what they had intended.
What remained of our reputation was eventually shredded when he and his family opened a diner right down the street-- with my menu. They spread rumors-- told my customers we had closed down and that we had insect infestations. And continued to do their best to convince me to hand over my dreams.
All of this started because I refused to step away from the business I worked thirty years to create.
M. ruined my life. I was devoted to him for twelve years only to discover i asume he was lying to me the entire time. I gave him so much, and I gave his family so much, and I’m sick and disgusted that anyone is actually capable of conning someone like he conned me.
It’s been 18 months and I’m over the depression and hurt. Now I need help to pick myself up, dust myself off, and put my nose back to the grindstone.
When M. left, he not only took my kitchen staff, my menu, and my marriage, he also took an undisclosed amount of cash all of wich was suposed to pay bills-- and left me in debt. I'm sure thats what they opened the Diner with. Now I’m struggling to pay everything off and start fresh. And it’s not just my livelihood at stake-- if we close down, ten hard-working, honest people will find themselves out of a job.
M. may have tried his best to knock me down and pull the rug from under my feet, but I’m still standing. I’ve run a successful business before and I know I can do it again-- I just need a little help. I need a bailout!!!
So if you can, please lend me a hand and help me rebuild the dream they tried so hard to destroy.
Thank you, and God bless.
I will gladly pay it foward!
Organizer
Hazel's OceanPines
Organizer
Berlin, MD