Paletero Is Gifted New Cart After Being Attacked And Robbed
Street vendors have been under attack at higher numbers during Covid. Videos on social media went viral showing paleteros being violently attacked to be robbed of their daily earnings. Bernardo Nuñez was one of those victimized street vendors but things just turned around.
Earlier this month, Bernardo Nuñez was attacked and robbed of his paletero cart.
Immediately, the community started to come together. A GoFundMe was started to help raise some money to help Nuñez recover from the attack. Like other street vendors, he relies heavily on his cart to make money and provide for his family.
“Last Saturday July 11th, while in #Longbeach they stole Bernardo’s Ice cream bike cart. At 53rd St and Long Beach Blvd in front of the @99centsonly store. He went inside to buy some napkins,” reads the GoFundMe. “When he came back out the Cart was gone. Let’s Team up and Buy him a Bike ice Cream cart, a push cart is too hard for him to push around all day, he’s 66 years old. Bernardo has a @gofundme so we can help him replace his stolen bike ice cream cart and assist him to get back on his feet. He has no family he’s all on his own, let’s take care of him like he is our Family. #defendpaleteros”
Two weeks later, Nuñez is being taken care of by his community.
The GoFundMe, created by Tito Rodriguez, for Nuñez raised more than $10,000, which would more than replace a cart and bike. The money came pouring in from people around the country who want to help those in need. After all, we all love and support our street vendors because they always take care of us.
There is also a non-profit, co-founded by Rodriguez, that stepped up to really give Nuñez a chance to start again.
The Local Hearts Foundation heard of Nuñez’s loss and they sprang to action. The group managed to raise the money to buy Nuñez a brand new paletero cart. Between Rodriguez’s GoFundMe and the non-profit, Nuñez received a new cart and the $10,000.
“We let him know, ‘Listen, this isn’t us. This is the community; over 300 people who pledged to help you. Understand that your contribution of working hard does not go unnoticed,'” HJ Chong, the other co-founder of Local Hearts Foundation, told ABC 7.
