Two South Orange businesses, heavily impacted by a fire on March 12, are seeking help through online fundraisers.
Chris’s Family Diner at 51 E. South Orange Avenue is seeking help at gofundme.com/f/help-chriss-family-diner-recover-after-fire.
“On Saturday, March 12, a large fire broke out in downtown South Orange, NJ,” wrote local resident Dan Dietrich, who set up the fundraiser. “Thanks to the incredible response from our fire department, the fire was contained and no one was injured. However, the damage caused by the fire and the water used to put it out has had a significant impact on Chris’s Family Diner, a longtime local favorite and cornerstone of our community.”
“For 25 years, Chris’s has been more than just a diner,” Dietrich continued. “It is a place where neighbors gather, families connect, and so many of us have shared everyday moments over coffee and meals. Chris, Maria and the team have shown up for this community year after year, and now it is our turn to show up for them. The diner is facing damage to its space, equipment, and operations, along with the very real impact of being closed for an unknown period of time.”
Dietrich called Chris’s “the type of place that helps someone feel home” and said that funds would help Chris, Maria and team “repair and restore the diner, replace damaged equipment and supplies, support staff who rely on the diner for their income, and recover from lost days, weeks, or potentially months of business.”
“Chris’s Family Diner has been there for all of us for over two decades,” said Dietrich. “Let’s help make sure it can reopen and continue serving this community for years to come. Any support, whether it is a donation or sharing this page, will make a real difference.”
NJ.com is also reporting that the diner is owned by the family of Maria Niotis, one of two teens that were killed in a hit-and-run last year.
Ambiance Jewelers and Gladys Nail salon were also heavily impacted by the fire, with Mayor Sheena Collum reporting that all three businesses “”will remain closed until the structures can be evaluated and deemed safe for occupancy.”
Local resident Mara Bernstein has created a GoFundMe for Ambiance Jewelers at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-marco-rebuild-ambiance-jewelers.
Bernstein wrote, “The brave work by the fire department left Ambiance Jewelers completely flooded. Unfortunately, the business will suffer with lost equipment, lost displays, and most importantly loss of a place to work for their foreseeable future dramatically affecting the owner Marco Tavara.”
Tavara posted a video to YouTube thanking the community.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank everybody who made their contribution to GoFundMe. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people — a lot of people that I know, a lot of customers, friends — they took the time, they spend their money for me. I am more than happy. I feel blessed for all the love all the support,” said Tavara, choking up.
“I hope God multiplies everything that you did for me by 20 times.”
Those with any information on other fundraising efforts for those affected by the fire can contact Village Green at [email protected].
