VENICE — When Italianos employees walked up for their shifts last Tuesday to find an eviction notice on the front door, they knew they were out of a job.
After seeing the popular Italian eatery close just one week before Christmas, one Venice resident knew she had to help them through the difficult holiday.
Alyssa Reinbolt, creator of online restaurant review forum Venice Foodies, held a last-minute holiday community donations drive, pulling together nearly $1,000 for the 13 employees in just three days.
The successful community drive is not the first of its kind for the local resident.
Reinbolt expanded Venice Foodies to more outreach initiatives, including Tips for Servers last Christmas, which raises funds once a month for a random local server to receive.
The resident said the community project was created to offer immediate relief when it’s needed most.
“In those moments, I think of people who are worried about gas and groceries just to get through the week, those who can’t afford to wait for other resources to kick in,” Reinbolt said.