A cobbler at Dufferin Mall in Toronto, Alazar Beyene, thought his business was over after his machine broke and the spare parts were unavailable, but the community took notice and pitched in for a new machine.

After more than 20 years of repairing shoes at his small shop at Dufferin Mall, Beyene’s old stitching machine gave up. He used to fix the machine himself, but the Montreal-based company that used to supply the repair parts stopped doing so. The new machine, priced at $11,000, was too expensive for him to afford. When Beyene was contemplating giving up, a loyal customer, Marsha Shandur, shared his story on social media, and the community stepped in to help.

Thanks to community support, the GoFundMe campaign raised over $15,000 for a new machine for the Dufferin Mall cobbler. Beyene was amazed at how much people care about small businesses like his. A recent ribbon-cutting at his shop marked the arrival of his new machine, something he once thought he couldn’t afford. Thanks to donations from the community, Beyene’s new repair machine is helping him fix zippers, replace buckles, and repair bags, and he is happy to keep his business running using the new machine and the skills he spent years mastering.

Beyene is a second-generation cobbler who moved to Canada from Eritrea 23 years ago. The recent social media traction also got him recognition for his shoe repair work, which is becoming a “dying art,” as more people choose to buy new items instead of fixing old ones.

Source: CBC