Friends of the Avid Bookshop, Athens, Ga., have created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help the bookstore, whose Five Points location suffered severe flooding on Friday.
The campaign noted, in part, "The children's section--particularly the parenting section, board books, and picture books--suffered considerable damage. The basement (where they hold additional inventory, receive books, process returns, etc.) leaked as well. Books, puppets, insulation, handmade shelving, and more suffered irreparable damage. Some members of the staff had shifts cancelled due to the unforeseen store closure. Full-timers worked overtime to cover their regular job duties and to manage cleanup.
"While owner Janet Geddis and Avid Bookshop wait for insurance claims to process, the store could use a little help covering wages, lost sales, and replacement inventory. Due to the nature of the incident, insurance adjusters are not sure how long it will take to figure out how things will shake out."
As one of the organizers--Jennifer Abel Kovitz, v-p and associate publisher, sales & marketing, Catapult, Counterpoint Press and Soft Skull--wrote, "Thanks in advance for considering a donation, and for helping us share the link to this fundraiser far and wide. Janet and her staff punch way above their weight in our industry, and we are all stronger for their stores' continued success."