WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Local businesses are stepping up to support the Temple Israel community following the March 12 attack, offering everything from free food to dry cleaning services for affected families.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report:
Soul Cafe, located less than a mile from Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, provided immediate relief moments after a man rammed his car into the building with nearly 150 students and teachers inside. Security footage shows cafe staff members busy preparing meals for affected families.
WEB EXTRA: Surveillance video inside Soul Cafe during lockdown for Temple Israel attack
The restaurant is part of the Friendship Circle, a nonprofit supporting kids and adults with special needs.
"That’s a very strong value of ours is that everyone, no matter who we are, has tools and a toolbox and a mission, and usually your toolbox tells you what your mission is," Rabbi Levy Shemtov said.
Shemtov is the Executive Director of the Friendship Circle, which has run Soul Cafe for more than a decade. He said their mission became clear that day.
"You know, we didn’t know if someone was providing food and there were other people, but we wanted to send over whatever we can," Shemtov said.
While in lockdown, staff members made pizzas in the kitchen and wheeled out a cart of food and drinks, delivering the items on foot to parents and kids who were escorted to Shenandoah Country Club.
"I didn’t really know what was going on, but I knew we needed to be part of the help and the calm. We sent out maybe 50 pizzas that day? Maybe 35? A box of cookies, vitamin waters," Jason Millross, Soul Cafe's kitchen manager said.
Bloomfield Hills resident Caroline Margolis said the cafe's actions were expected.
"To me, it’s not surprising, it’s just something I know they would do because it’s who Friendship Circle is. We’re a Friendship Circle family. My son has special needs. That’s the community that they are, that’s what they do," Margolis said.
Douglas Cleaners in Birmingham is also offering support. The business is cleaning clothes and religious items with water or smoke damage for Temple Israel families for free.
"I felt so helpless, I was like, ' What can I do to help?' And instantly realized my family owns a dry cleaners, I can clean everything," Emily Meretsky said.
Meretsky's mother and father, Amy and Andrew Douville, quickly went online to spread the word, and families have been coming into the store.
"We’ve gotten a lot of tallises, a lot of prayer shawls, jackets," Zach Douville said.
"That’s the one thing we wanted to do is do what we can to give back. We can’t remove the terror and the horrible feeling, but hopefully we can give them some sort of relief," Amy Douville said.
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