Help Ohana Ice & Treats Reopen After Theft

From Block Club Chicago : "About 11:30 p.m. June 25, someone stole 15-20 feet of copper piping leading to the air conditioning units at Ohana Ice & Treats.

"Keynn Cain, who opened Ohana with her spouse, Kenneth Cain, in 2018, was booked to provide Ohana’s signature shaved ice for ... summer camp. But after the shop’s air conditioning unit was vandalized, Ohana has been forced to close and is unable to make its icy treats. Ice cream novelties were the best Cain could do for the campers that day. The theft has severely impacted [Ohana], which can’t open for regular hours during the crucial summer season, the owners said.

“I’m almost in tears every time I have to go outside and talk to somebody,” Cain said. “If this doesn’t work out, what am I gonna do ...?”

June is usually the best month for ice cream sales for Ohana, Cain said. But with no air conditioning, the store has been closed since the theft. In the meantime, the freezers in the shop failed, and the business lost its entire ice cream inventory, Cain said. Now, the floors are beginning to warp from the heat — another repair to add to the growing bill.

Cain estimates about $45,000 in lost income during the two and half weeks the store has been closed."

Insurance is only going to cover a third of the repairs Ohana needs to get their doors back open. The Cains have been there for the Beverly, Morgan Park, Mt. Greenwood communities since they opened. In particular, there isn't a kid in the 60643 who hasn't feasted on their amazing treats at a school event, or not spent time at the store and be welcomed with open arms at the door.

So few have the courage and strength to invest in the community by opening a small business, but the Cains are those people. And it's small businesses like theirs that make our community what it is: vibrant, joy-filled, unique.

The Cains need our help now. If you've got a few bucks you can spare, consider sending it to them to get Ohana's doors back open.

More from Block Club: "Despite Cain’s worry for her shop’s future, she does not feel embittered towards whoever broke the air conditioner units.

“I just want to put a sign back there and be like, ‘Hey, if you need some help, just come in and see me,’” she said.