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York restaurant rallies after burglary

By Matt Maisel Less than a week after her restaurant was stripped of everything, a community has come to the aid of April Collier. G’s Jook Joint in York, a res...
rebuild

By Matt Maisel

Less than a week after her restaurant was stripped of everything, a community has come to the aid of April Collier.

G’s Jook Joint in York, a restaurant which specializes in southern Cajun cuisine, but also serves as a community hang out for local musicians and after school program for area kids, was picked apart during a burglary Sunday, March 8.

“I got a text from my brother,” said Collier, who opened G’s seven months ago. “He said, ‘Are you doing renovations? There’s stuff all over the place.’

“I get here (Monday morning), and everything is tossed).”

All kitchen equipment was ripped off the wall; the fryer, range hood, stove top and oven gone. Gas lines had been cut. Furniture was either taken from the restaurant or lay in pieces on the floor.

Collier estimated about $25,000 in damages.

“It wouldn’t have hurt as much if there weren’t kids involved,” she said. “There are kids that come in here and rely on me having these doors open. Rather than them being in the street and breaking into someone’s house or store, they come here and attempt to do good everyday.”

Within hours after calling the police Monday morning, volunteers started showing up at G’s Jook Joint to help.

Carla Christopher, York City’s former Poet Laureate, started working with Collier a few months ago as an art and entertainment consultant. When the burglary occurred, she took to Facebook. Thanks to the power of social media, a community became involved.

“I live on social media,” Christopher said. “Just a few shouts on Facebook, “Hey, this is a great place and they need some help,’ and we got $2,000 in donations in three days.”

Christopher started a GoFundMe.com account in the restaurant’s name. Shortly thereafter, the York Unitarian Church joined the volunteer effort, and the York County Democratic Party led a fundraising charge, as well.

“This isn’t just a restaurant,” York County Democratic Party chairperson Bob Kefauver said. “This is a family here. It’s a safe place for a lot of kids.”

York area teens use G’s Jook Joint as a place to get real work experience. Collier says the kids who come in each day learn how to cook and run a restaurant. When many of those same people came to help in the cleanup effort, it was overwhelming.

“All I can do is smile and try not to tear up,” Collier said. “People started helping out and I didn’t know most of them.”

G’s Jook Joint won’t be open, fittingly, until April, but the fundraising efforts are taking place every day. Donations are being collected at http://www.gofundme.com//gsjookjoint.

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