Entire Town Staged 'Cash Mob' For Beloved Store Owner Going Through Tough Times

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Levittown, New York came together to be there for a man who was always there for them.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Avi Gandhi, 63, originally from India, came to Levittown, New York about ten years ago and took over Center Lane Stationery, a convenience store. He became a beloved member of the community while working at his shop. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, the store owner announced earlier this year that he may have to close the store.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/10/residents-strangers-rally-to-save-ny-mom-and-pop-shop/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">The economy is hurting me</a>," Gandhi told ABC News. "I don’t know what is going to happen ... It is that bad. Business has gone down 75 percent in the last five years."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> But Craig and Celeste Hamilton Dennis, customers and friends of Gandhi, weren't ready to give up on the man who meant so much to their town. Back in June, with the help of Gandhi's customers, they organized a "cash mob," where people flooded the store to boost its business. They also documented the event in a short film, "Cash Mob for Avi," in hopes of helping him to continue running his store.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Avi took in the whole scene and was just shocked and humbled. He kept insisting that this was not just an honor for him, but for all small business owners who work hard every day but never receive any acclaim," Liz Morrison, director of the short film, told The Huffington Post in an email.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="flash mob" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2217586/thumbs/o-FLASH-MOB-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.zackdelaune.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Zack DeLaune</a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> The project, which was put together through a Facebook event and took about a month and a half to plan, was kept a complete secret from Gandhi. When the cash mob began, Gandhi was confused as to why so many people were coming into his shop, and was bit flustered by the booming business. After it was revealed to him what was going on, and he stepped outside to a crowd of supportive customers, Morrison says he was overjoyed.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "They escorted Avi out to the cheering crowd, and he just was blow away. He raised his fists and proclaimed that he wanted to 'serve them until his last moment,'" she said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="cash mob for avi" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2217614/thumbs/o-CASH-MOB-FOR-AVI-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.zackdelaune.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Zack DeLaune</a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> While the gesture was a grand one, Celeste said that Gandhi definitely deserved it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "He knew the names of everyone who came in, who their family was, what their disappointments were, the dreams they had. He would frequently joke, offer sage advice, let people pay him back if they were hard up, listen intently, and make people feel like they mattered," Celeste told HuffPost. "He was like family to many of his customers."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> While his business is still struggling, and may close by December, the 63-year-old is staying positive, and seeing it as an opportunity to spend more time with his wife, Bharati, and cut back on work hours. His community has continued to stand by him, in support of a man who Morrison says, "works tirelessly every day to serve his customers."</div> </div>

Entire Town Staged 'Cash Mob' For Beloved Store Owner Going Through Tough Times

Levittown, New York came together to be there for a man who was always there for them. Avi Gandhi, 63, originally from India, came to Le...

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Friendship Finds A Way

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="pw pw-widget ra1-pw-classicWidget ra1-pw_size_small pw-layout-horizontal pw-counter-horizontal pw-widget-look-native" style="font-family: Verdana, Tahoma !important; font-size: 1px !important; line-height: 1px !important; margin-top: 7px;"> <a class="pw-button pw-button-facebook button-type-looknative pw-size-small pw-button-counter-horizontal look-native" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border: none !important; box-sizing: content-box; color: #0099ff; display: inline-block !important; height: auto !important; line-height: 12px !important; margin: 0px 10px 1px 0px !important; outline: none; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="pw-button-type-looknative" style="-webkit-background-clip: padding-box; background-clip: padding-box; background-color: #435fac; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(74, 103, 183) 0px, rgb(60, 86, 162) 100%); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgb(72, 101, 181) rgb(45, 68, 135) rgb(45, 68, 135); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 18px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: top;"><span class="pw-icon ra1-pw-icon ra1-pw-icon-facebook" style="background: url(http://i.po.st/static/v3/img/post-native.png) 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block !important; height: 12px; left: 3px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 3px; vertical-align: top; width: 12px;">FB</span></span></a></div> <div class="feelgood" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"> <div style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> <a class="group1" href="http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/09/043c0-games.jpg" style="color: #0099ff; outline: none; text-decoration: none;"><img class="largeimg" src="http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/09/043c0-games.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 20px; max-width: 350px;" /></a>When there is a will, there is a way. Caleb's buddy, Ike, missed him very much. I went to the kids room earlier today and played with Ike for a bit, and he asked how Caleb was doing, and so did Caleb's other friend Casey. We said our goodbyes and I headed back to Caleb's room.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> Ike rolled over in his wheelchair and knocked on the door because he wanted to say hello. But Caleb is unable to leave his room, so I grabbed some rubber gloves and a controller and gave it to Ike outside the glass doors.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> Now they are having a blast playing Call of Duty. Love seeing these guys smiling and just being kids.</div> </div> </div>

Friendship Finds A Way

FB When there is a will, there is a way. Caleb's buddy, Ike, missed him very much. I went to the kids room earlier today and played...

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