ASSIGNMENT: Help a non-profit, The Brian Muha Memorial Foundation, Inc./The Run The Race Club, whose soon-to-open Christian bookstore and t-shirt printing business was recently destroyed by a group of young children, who filmed the vandalism and posted it on the Internet. REFERRING OFFICER: Columbus Division of Police 19 Precinct (Hilltop) Officer Nick Sands We first learned of the Brian Muha Memorial Foundation from one of our volunteers, Sayyid Campbell, who grew up going to the Run the Race Club, and who speaks very highly of it. It's a Club that offers after school programs for kids in the Hilltop, among many other things. The Foundation itself was established by Rachel Ganim Muha in memory of her son, Brian, who was killed in 1999 in a random act of violence while attending college in Stuebenville. It is a beautiful endeavor that contributes a great deal to the community. Recently, the Foundation purchased a building on Sullivant Avenue, intending to turn it into a place where youths age 14 and older could learn how to run a business, and thereby gain much-needed life skills that would benefit them in a multitude of ways. They considered many different options for this business, eventually settling on a Christian bookstore and t-shirt printing business. Over the past few months, there have been many setbacks in getting the building ready and in learning exactly what would be required of this new venture. Just when they were getting ready to open, the pandemic hit. They locked the doors and waited for a safe time to re-open. Unfortunately, someone else got there first. Three young teens allegedly broke into the bookstore and vandalized it, filming their exploits for social media. Among other things, they set shirts on fire, broke items, and discharged fire extinguishers all over the premises. Ofc Sands is a long time supporter of Starfish Assignment, and he reached out to us to see if there is anything our followers could to do help the center recover from this crime. The work they do is vital to the Hilltop area. We spoke with Mrs. Muha. She's so kind and determined to get the store cleaned up and back on track so they can help the residents of the area. We're asking for help for them in several areas: 1. They lost about $1,000 in merchandise (inexpensive jewelry, gifts, shirts, etc.). If you make or sell those types of items and you'd be willing to donate some to the store, please message us and we'll put you in touch with Rachel. 2. They're still waiting on a determination from their insurance company regarding what will be covered and what won't be, but their deductible is $1,000. We're hoping to help them cover that. You can make a donation to them directly through their website. 3. They're in need of two large, matching area rugs, approximate size 8'x15' to replace the two that were destroyed. Here are links to two newsletters that Mrs. Muha sent out if you want more information about the crime, including more photos. Thank you. 💙❤️
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