Bellarmine students have stepped-up in numerous ways to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, from raising funds for and/or manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers, to providing food and clothing for the underserved in the community.
Yet another example began one day this past summer when Nick Elliott ’22 and his dad strolled from his father’s office on The Alameda to Cindy’s Deli at the corner of Emory and Elm. Given its proximity to campus and the friendliness of its proprietor, the College Park-located sandwich shop in San Jose has long been a favorite among Bellarmine students. “The deli was closed but she {Cindy} was there throwing out her expired food items,” said Nick. “We chatted with her for a little while and she told us she didn’t know if she would make it through the summer without the boys on campus.”
The financial impact facing Cindy’s Deli, like so many small businesses hit hard recently, stayed with Nick to the point that he felt compelled to do what he could to help. “It bothered me the rest of the day. She has always been so nice to us … Later that night I told my Dad I wanted to do a GoFundMe campaign for her.”
With the assistance of Bell classmate Andreas Wanebo ’22, the effort to date has resulted in contributions totaling nearly $1,600. As impressive as that is, Nick points out the need for the crowdfunding campaign to continue. “We haven’t reached our goal yet,” he said, striving to raise $3,000 during the drive. “My hope was to take care of her rent for the entire summer. Of course, at the time we thought we would be back {on campus} in the fall.”
Nick said that Cindy was ecstatic a couple of weeks ago when he provided her with the contributions that had been received. “She was so happy and grateful. She said this gift made her feel strong enough to keep trying to stay open.”
Additional information is available at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-cindys