Our dear friend Cynthia Compton

Hi, My name is Justin, and I own the Black Bear Diner in Willows, Ca. We are trying to raise money for our employee and friend, Cynthia, to cover her expenses after her cancer diagnosis and losing her son in a car accident. I want to tell you my story about her and why I think she deserves whatever help we can give her. In 2017 I met Cynthia when she applied for a job at the Black Bear Diner in Gridley, Ca, where I was employed as a GM. I was not currently hiring when she applied, but I kept her resume on file until a position became available; that was the plan. Every day I came to work, there she was, waiting patiently to see if any positions had opened up, and every day I thanked her for coming in to check and, unfortunately, had to turn her away. This went on for what must have been three or so weeks. Finally, I decided that anyone willing to show up every day to find employment shows motivation and determination to deserve a position and my respect. Since that day, Cynthia has become more than an employee; she is family to us. She loved working for Black Bear Diner because it felt like family. That is why I loved working for the company; it was a family-owned and run company. I mention this because she took so much pride in her job and the family she worked with that she would wear her uniform out in town when not on the clock just because she wanted people to know how much she loved working there. During the Covid Pandemic, I had the opportunity to become a Franchise owner of the Black Bear Diner in Willows, Ca. Cynthia was one of the first people I called to come to open the diner with me. She was living in Sacramento and had to commute over an hour each way to work when she could have applied at any of the numerous Black Bear Diners in her area. She eventually moved her whole life away from her family to move to Willows so she could continue to work for us. She would always tell me jokingly that this would be her last job and she would work till she couldn't work anymore. She planned to retire at Black Bear and move back to care for her family. Unfortunately, Cancer had other plans. While in the midst of dealing with her health, she received the news no parent should ever hear, her son was lost in a tragic accident. Cynthia has been given only months to live, and I would like to help ease the financial burden she has incurred from her battle with cancer and the loss of her son.