Sheletta surprises two ICE-impacted St. Paul businesses with checks from her GoFundMe

On a Saturday morning at St. Paul’s Flava Coffee & Café, Owner Shaunie Grigsby is used to serving customers, though fewer and fewer are coming these days. So, when one customer brought her a $2,000 check, her cup overflowed.

“This was a beautiful surprise,” Grigsby said. “I am beyond grateful for the support from Sheletta and the community that has continued to show up during this time because it’s not easy.”

The check came from Sheletta Brundidge, founder of ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com, a Minnesota based podcast network and promotions company.

She started a GoFundMe to support storefront businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul suffering since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began Operation Metro Surge in January, with up to 3,000 ICE agents flooding into the state.

“It’s been tough,” said Grigsby. “We’ve seen a dip in sales, which is not the end of the world, but if we can’t pay the bills and keep the doors open, then we can’t keep folks employed, and they can’t keep their households fed. It’s really a ripple effect.

That ripple is real, according to North Star Policy Action, an independent research and communications institute, which reports ICE has caused between 50% to 100% revenue drops and temporary closures, particularly in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and St. Cloud.

“I have business owners calling me saying, I am desperate for money,” said Brundidge. “People are doing bad out there, and these corporations are playing games with their $3.5 million.”

Brundidge is referring to an announcement last month from the Minneapolis Foundation that a collection of 28 corporations, like Target, Ecolab, Medtronic, U.S. Bank, and others, created an Economic Response Fund to give $3.5 million to support small businesses in Minnesota, which Brundidge believes is not enough, not even close.

In response, Brundidge started a GoFundMe to raise $3.6 million and “embarrass them until they do better, while helping my fellow entrepreneurs,” Brundidge said.

She delivered two unexpected checks on that crisp, cool Saturday morning. Sylvia Williams, co-owner of Soul Grain thought she was meeting her friend Sheletta for coffee at Flava Café when she too was presented with a $2,000 check. “I got choked up, she’s just always a blessing,” Williams added.

Soul Grain, is a granola company built on the combination of talents from Sylvia Williams, a pastry chef, and Liza Maya, a nutritionist. The pair created Soul Grain to help people eat healthier using flavors from soul food recipes, their life experiences, and cultural backgrounds.

Williams believes the current uncertainty in Minnesota and nationally is contributing to a drop in sales at Soul Grain.

“It’s a crazy time right now,” Williams added. “I think people are generally holding onto their money. We’re just in a state of chaos, and nobody knows what’s going to happen, and as a result, people are like ‘let me cut down on this or cut down on that.’”

The checks to support entrepreneurs are nothing new for Brundidge, she has been supporting small businesses in Minnesota for years, most notably with her Black Entrepreneurs’ Day at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Brundidge knows the $3.6 million she wants to raise in her GoFundMe is a lofty goal, but she doesn’t care. “If they won’t do it for us, we’ll do it for each other,” Brundidge added. “I’m a long way from my goal, but I plan on getting there, and we’ve already made our first payouts.”

It’s this sense of community and unity among neighbors helping neighbors that has helped struggling small business owners have hope despite all the uncertainty.

“The one thing I’ve seen is a convergence of community coming together, spreading resources to make sure we have whistles, signage, and access to resources we can share with folks,” Grigsby said.

Williams agreed and said it boils down to supporting each other, no matter who we are or where we come from. “As a company, we are fighting for the unity of all cultures and people, because that is the spice of life.”

People can donate to the GoFundMe supporting Minnesota businesses impacted by ICE here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-help-minnesotas-small-business-owners

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