OUR COMMUNITY Suit Depot owner Marty Babayov (far right) and staff prepare to ship their donation of socks to Heart to Hart Detroit
Small Businesses
Give Back
Their hearts and their doors remain open. ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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any small businesses have been crushed by the pandemic. According to the marketing firm Womply, more than a third of small businesses in Michigan have closed since January 2020, and many are still struggling. Those that are open are so grateful that they’re making it their mission to give back to the community, especially now. Here are a few.
Amy and Andre Douville, owners of Douglas Cleaners
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APRIL 1 • 2021
DOUGLAS CLEANERS Douglas Cleaners first opened its doors in 1949; Amy and Andre Douville bought the high-end Birmingham dry cleaners on June 1, 2019. “Right in time for the pandemic,” Amy joked. They had to quickly rethink how to stay afloat at a time when no one needed dry cleaning because they weren’t leaving their homes. The Douvilles went contactless with free porch pickup and delivery, curbside service, and wash and fold laundry services. Andre was extremely touched when a customer shared that the only reason he got dressed in the morning, despite working from home, was to support his drycleaners. Amy said, “We’re a close-knit community; we all need to rely on each other. We have longtime customers who continue to support us in these hard times, and that has inspired us to give right back to
the community.” Together with Gleaners, they had a monthlong food drive and donations poured in. The Douvilles also have a generous offer for anyone seeking new employment. “We’ll clean your interview outfit for free. You don’t have to be a regular customer,” Andre said. “We just want to help people get back on their feet.” Also in the works for later this year is a suitcase drive for kids in foster homes so they won’t have to transfer their belongings in garbage bags. Douglas Cleaners: (248) 642-6230. ELWIN & CO. Elwin & Co., the Berkley-based kitchen and distributor of foods for 30 years, has also been impacted by the pandemic. According to chef/proprietor Elwin Greenwald, costs have gone up, but customers balk at raised prices. “Three of my customers closed their coffee houses permanently. Distributors are taking less. With schools and casinos closed, everything trickles down, which affects sales. There’s also less foot traffic,” Greenwald said. “But we’re open, thank God. We’re doing OK, and I’m so grateful.” In an effort to help others, Greenwald packages leftover or imperfectly shaped food items and donates them to churches, homeless shelters and schools. He also provides meals for the Berkley Police Department when shifts falls on holidays — “Even fake holidays, like the Super Bowl!” Greenwald is also planning to cook and donate lasagnas to families who need the help because they’re ill with COVID or are overwhelmed with kids learning virtually from home. On why he does this, Greenwald said, “This is the Jewish way; this is how I was raised. My mother and aunt used to always hand-deliver donations to local shuls. Whenever Mother’s Day rolled around and we’d ask what she wanted, my mother always said, ‘Make a donation. Give back.’ So, I do.”
