Save Sami's Cornerstore
Donation protected
My name is Sami. The historic corner store on 28th and Jackson has been in my family for two decades—ever since my parents fled their home in Eritrea in 1991 due to war. They used their life savings to make a downpayment on the store, and this business became the lifeblood of our family.
I took over in 2018 and renamed the spot Sami's Cornerstore. I know that my family's store serves an important purpose in the Central District—I know that because everyday my customers come in and tell me so. Please watch the video below to see how and why our community really needs this space.
The fact of the matter, however, is that it's getting harder and harder to make it work. Like so many other businesses, my store has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. On top of that, the store has been broken into three times this winter—the last time the damage was pretty bad.
I have now made the decision to close the store for one month (approximately mid-February thru Mid-March) in order to focus solely on repairs. I have an amazing team of volunteers who are helping me, and we're going to come back stronger than ever.
I’m grateful for the community support and for the funds raised on this page. In supporting this GoFundMe, you are helping me rebuild and repair—and add kitchen equipment so that when I do come back and re-open, I can add hot food to the mix.
I’m fortunate to have a community that stands beside me as I make these big changes. I know that with them, and with the funds raised here, we will preserve the economic and cultural heritage of the Central District. Even as generations of systemic racism have given way to Black communities existing on unequal playing ground, we are committed to the preservation of the community I grew up in—not just for me, but for the future.
I took over in 2018 and renamed the spot Sami's Cornerstore. I know that my family's store serves an important purpose in the Central District—I know that because everyday my customers come in and tell me so. Please watch the video below to see how and why our community really needs this space.
The fact of the matter, however, is that it's getting harder and harder to make it work. Like so many other businesses, my store has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. On top of that, the store has been broken into three times this winter—the last time the damage was pretty bad.
I have now made the decision to close the store for one month (approximately mid-February thru Mid-March) in order to focus solely on repairs. I have an amazing team of volunteers who are helping me, and we're going to come back stronger than ever.
I’m grateful for the community support and for the funds raised on this page. In supporting this GoFundMe, you are helping me rebuild and repair—and add kitchen equipment so that when I do come back and re-open, I can add hot food to the mix.
I’m fortunate to have a community that stands beside me as I make these big changes. I know that with them, and with the funds raised here, we will preserve the economic and cultural heritage of the Central District. Even as generations of systemic racism have given way to Black communities existing on unequal playing ground, we are committed to the preservation of the community I grew up in—not just for me, but for the future.
Organizer
Samuel Abera
Organizer
Seattle, WA