An Entire Town Comes Together To Help A Man Who Made Everyone Feel Like They Matter
In our FEEL GOOD FRIDAY column this week, we bring to you a story of a store owner Avi Gandhi and his wife, who were having a tough time. So a group of some 100 people in Levittown, Long Island decided to cheer him up.
By Sadho Ram — 31 Oct 2014, 01:14 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
For 63-year-old Avi Gandhi, his Center Lane Stationery, a convenience store in Levittown, New York, and the people of the small town are everything
Originally from India, Avi, with his wife Bharati Gandhi, came to Levittown about ten years ago and soon became a beloved member of the community while working at his shop
Avi Gandhi, owner of Center Lane Stationary in Levittown, New York, is revered by his customers as a kind, passionate small businessman. “My favorite thing about Avi is the way he cares about Levittown,” one customer said. “He’s just really kind and giving,” echoed another. “I love him. We all do.”
However, despite a loyal base of customers, Avi, whose wife recently survived a battle with cancer, leaving the couple with a pile of medical bills, became engulfed in financial turmoil, due to which he announced that he may have to close the store
"The economy is hurting me," Gandhi told ABC News. "I don’t know what is going to happen ... It is that bad. Business has gone down 75 percent in the last five years."
So when Craig and Celeste Hamilton Dennis, Gandhi's friends and store customers, heard his plans to shut the store, they weren't ready to give up on the man who meant so much to their town
And with the help of Gandhi's customers, the Dennises organised a "cash mob," where people flooded Gandhi's store to boost his business. They also documented the event in a short film, "Cash Mob for Avi," in hopes of helping him to continue running his store
The project, which was put together through a Facebook event and took about a month and a half to plan, was kept a complete secret from Gandhi. When the cash mob began, Gandhi was confused as to why so many people were coming into his shop, and was bit flustered by the booming business. After it was revealed to him what was going on, and he stepped outside to a crowd of supportive customers, Morrison says he was overjoyed.
"Avi took in the whole scene and was just shocked and humbled. He kept insisting that this was not just an honor for him, but for all small business owners who work hard every day but never receive any acclaim," Liz Morrison, director of the short film, told The Huffington Post in an email. "They escorted Avi out to the cheering crowd, and he just was blow away. He raised his fists and proclaimed that he wanted to 'serve them until his last moment,'" she said.
