From funeral expenses caused by untimely deaths to battles against cancer, GoFundMe.com is the go-to for personal fundraising efforts. Many restaurants are turning to the site in order to support their employees during the tough economic times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Santa Barbara alone, Los Agaves, Los Arroyos, Acme Hospitality, Arigato, and Trattoria Vittoria are just a few taking that route.
But GoFundMe.com is actually automatically raising money for restaurant staff whose owners don’t even know about the campaigns. That’s what the Santa Barbara Independent learned last week when columnist John “The Restaurant Guy” Dickson began compiling a list of these fundraisers. He immediately started finding pages for establishments such as Dune Coffee Roasters, Little Things Bakery, Petrini’s, and Rose Café that did not have a personal message from owners about the campaign. They are apparently, and unwittingly, part of GoFundMe.com’s Small Business Relief Initiative.
“To make my list, I require that there be a personal message from staff on the GoFundMe page, and that message must mention the current crisis,” Dickson explained. “That keeps it real.” He’s posted the legitimate ones, as well as his extensive takeout/delivery guide, at SantaBarbara.com .