(UPDATE: CLOSED) Assist The Barracks Team During Closure

UPDATE: OUR GOFUNDME DEADLINE HAS PASSED as planned, coinciding with the final closing of the Barracks. Although the Barracks is now a memory, this page will remain open a little longer to process any late donations and to continue publicly recognizing the names of all who donated.

Thank you, everyone, for reaching an incredible $21K of our $25K goal. I will soon announce an exciting follow-up: Recently we received donations of gear, which will be auctioned to try to bridge the gap to $25K.

For now, let me say you’re all amazing! Our fundraiser monitors will report the results to the community at large soon. And the staff and I hope to see you soon!

Matthew

______________________

My name is Matthew Friar. I was a bartender and barback at The Barracks in Cathedral City. As so many of us recently learned, The Barracks will close its doors for good at end of business Sunday, August 4, 2024.

In addition to how shocked and sad my working-level coworkers and I are to lose the place that brings us together, the untimely closure leaves nearly all of us without a primary means of earning an income during the slowest time of the year for bar and restaurant work in the valley, compounding our worries. For most of us, a new job search has to fit between our last remaining Barracks shifts. It's not easy but everyone is doing their damndest to land on our feet next month.

Here's where I'm asking for an assist. This GoFundMe goal is to raise emergency funds for staff members including myself, for about a month's coverage of bills and necessities, to help during the transition during this trying time. The staff to benefit from this fundraiser are:

Domonic Hunt

Joseph Martinez

Ken McGinley

Kyle Lupo

Luke Elick

Mark Caulkins

Matthew Friar

Michael Smestad

Patrick Lucero

Paul Maluchnik

Steven Lehrer

Stephen Sutton

Rory Slikker

William Faulk

After GoFundMe's transaction fee (2.9% + $0.30 per donation) every dollar you give will be split equally among the currently-employed non-managerial staff, so if we reach our $25k goal, each one could look forward to a bit over $1k each, less the transaction fees, a substantial temporary lifeline! Rent, groceries, gas, and bills are what these funds are for to assist each team member as they seek new employment.

To assure you transparency and integrity in this fundraiser, I’ve asked Ken McGinley, Jim Landé, and Raymond Lafleur, three guys known by many across our community to monitor this GoFundMe, raise awareness, help me with outreach, and report to you about their oversight at the conclusion of the fundraiser. At the end of this campaign, they will oversee along with myself to the dispersion of the funds in an equal and full amount to staff members in sealed envelopes.

It isn't easy to ask for handouts, but some friends urged me to set this up for our group because they believe the Barracks community will respond. If you are local, come see us as often as you can before our last day August 4, and if you are out of town, hopefully see you before too long, wherever we all end up next.

Thank you, we will always remember your support and kindness during this difficult time. Share this link if you could.

-Matthew Friar