K2 Jewelry Repair Recovery Fundraiser
Donation protected
Deciding whether or not my family and I would start and make this fundraiser public was a very difficult decision for us. We do not in any way wish to distract and minimize the importance of what is happening all over the United States right now and in no way, shape, or form are we trying to take advantage of this situation to take away the voices of those fighting for justice. My family and I see and hear the pain that the Black community is going through and firmly believe that this systemic, racial oppression needs to end.
DISCLAIMER: We fully acknowledge that looting is very different from protesting. We acknowledge that there have been many peaceful protests that were successful and that this incident of my aunt's store being looted does not point to those who have been protesting peacefully.
How It Started:
On Sunday, May 31st, my aunt's store in Oakland experienced severe damages by looters. At 10:45 pm, the alarm that was connected to the cameras in the store rang, so she immediately checked the security cameras on her phone. Once opened, she saw at least 50 people all over the store breaking the windows, taking all possessions, and causing a mess. She immediately went to the store but by that time, most of them were gone. As she was driving and even after she arrived at the scene, she continued to call the police but the call was on hold the whole night due to high call volumes. In the end, the police never arrived at the scene that night. Seeing and hearing our aunt break down, it broke our hearts.
Due to the global pandemic, my aunt already had her store closed down since March 16th. Because there were bills to pay and people to feed, the past two months were so hard for her as she had no income. From May 26th, she went into the store to slowly open and take orders as curbside pickups were allowed. She thought that in the upcoming weeks, she would be able to fully open the store to start a business so that she can have some sort of money to live off of. But now, any hope of that is gone, and her situation is the worst she's ever experienced due to the extent of property damage and stolen items.
Background about K2 Jewelry:
My aunt started K2 Jewelry, mainly known for custom gold teeth (grills), back in 2008. This business has been the primary source of income for her and her family throughout all the years, and it has been amazing to see how my aunt continued to stay in this business. Despite her limited English-speaking and hearing abilities, she was able to grow the business into one that started to become known to different customers all over Oakland and even stretching beyond the city. Even though she faced so many struggles along the way, her main goal was to always provide the best quality gold teeth with the best price for her customers. She was able to achieve this through her countless hours of waxing, designing and making sure the fit would be right, and her customers were always satisfied.
Damage:
Everything was taken. From the scrap gold and customers' teeth orders to the showcases and the equipment/machinery, not a single thing was left behind. All my aunt was left with were shattered windows and doors, broken camera systems, and broken showcases.
*I am sorry that the photos are very blurry. They are screenshots from videos my aunt has sent me. Also, I had to flip all photos as I was able to only upload horizontal photos on GoFundMe.*
Unfortunately, my aunt does not have insurance on most of these damages because the insurance premiums were too expensive for her in comparison to the damages. She realized this due to multiple burglaries from the past. And with everything destroyed, which has never happened before, she is devastated as the prices to repair destroyed equipment and the store itself are extremely high.
If you are able to, please consider donating - any amount would help. Even if you are unable to donate, please still share this with your family and friends. And in doing so, we sincerely ask that you refrain from adding any accusatory language as my family and I, especially my aunt, are not in support of this. All we simply want is for my aunt to recover and move forward. All the donations will be covering the property damages, damaged machinery/equipment, and missing inventory to help K2 Jewelry recover and eventually reopen.
We know it will take time not only for the store to heal but also for my aunt to heal from the emotional and mental trauma. Please keep her and her store in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank you and we hope everyone stays safe!
*Links below are ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement by donating, signing petitions and staying more informed:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
https://blacklivesmatter.com
https://www.blacklivesbracelet.com/
https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home
DISCLAIMER: We fully acknowledge that looting is very different from protesting. We acknowledge that there have been many peaceful protests that were successful and that this incident of my aunt's store being looted does not point to those who have been protesting peacefully.
How It Started:
On Sunday, May 31st, my aunt's store in Oakland experienced severe damages by looters. At 10:45 pm, the alarm that was connected to the cameras in the store rang, so she immediately checked the security cameras on her phone. Once opened, she saw at least 50 people all over the store breaking the windows, taking all possessions, and causing a mess. She immediately went to the store but by that time, most of them were gone. As she was driving and even after she arrived at the scene, she continued to call the police but the call was on hold the whole night due to high call volumes. In the end, the police never arrived at the scene that night. Seeing and hearing our aunt break down, it broke our hearts.
Due to the global pandemic, my aunt already had her store closed down since March 16th. Because there were bills to pay and people to feed, the past two months were so hard for her as she had no income. From May 26th, she went into the store to slowly open and take orders as curbside pickups were allowed. She thought that in the upcoming weeks, she would be able to fully open the store to start a business so that she can have some sort of money to live off of. But now, any hope of that is gone, and her situation is the worst she's ever experienced due to the extent of property damage and stolen items.
Background about K2 Jewelry:
My aunt started K2 Jewelry, mainly known for custom gold teeth (grills), back in 2008. This business has been the primary source of income for her and her family throughout all the years, and it has been amazing to see how my aunt continued to stay in this business. Despite her limited English-speaking and hearing abilities, she was able to grow the business into one that started to become known to different customers all over Oakland and even stretching beyond the city. Even though she faced so many struggles along the way, her main goal was to always provide the best quality gold teeth with the best price for her customers. She was able to achieve this through her countless hours of waxing, designing and making sure the fit would be right, and her customers were always satisfied.
Damage:
Everything was taken. From the scrap gold and customers' teeth orders to the showcases and the equipment/machinery, not a single thing was left behind. All my aunt was left with were shattered windows and doors, broken camera systems, and broken showcases.
*I am sorry that the photos are very blurry. They are screenshots from videos my aunt has sent me. Also, I had to flip all photos as I was able to only upload horizontal photos on GoFundMe.*
Unfortunately, my aunt does not have insurance on most of these damages because the insurance premiums were too expensive for her in comparison to the damages. She realized this due to multiple burglaries from the past. And with everything destroyed, which has never happened before, she is devastated as the prices to repair destroyed equipment and the store itself are extremely high.
If you are able to, please consider donating - any amount would help. Even if you are unable to donate, please still share this with your family and friends. And in doing so, we sincerely ask that you refrain from adding any accusatory language as my family and I, especially my aunt, are not in support of this. All we simply want is for my aunt to recover and move forward. All the donations will be covering the property damages, damaged machinery/equipment, and missing inventory to help K2 Jewelry recover and eventually reopen.
We know it will take time not only for the store to heal but also for my aunt to heal from the emotional and mental trauma. Please keep her and her store in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank you and we hope everyone stays safe!
*Links below are ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement by donating, signing petitions and staying more informed:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
https://blacklivesmatter.com
https://www.blacklivesbracelet.com/
https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home
Organizer
Sisley Stephanie Yun
Organizer
Oakland, CA