BALTIMORE — Natasha Brown Wainwright feared she was going to have to close her Baltimore cafe, Bmore Made with Pride, down until hope and opportunity came knocking on her door.
WATCH: DMV nonprofits help Baltimore cafe stay afloat
She's been fighting to keep her doors open.
"It's getting challenging and it can be stressful when it's just you trying to take care of your staff, take care of your own household, take care of these buildings," she said, "I'm supposed to renew my lease in the new year so if I don't take care of these back costs, why would the landlord renew my lease?"
That's where Mob the Block came in.
The nonprofit's mission is to keep Black businesses open.
Co-founders and sisters Melissa Lewis and LaRhonda Stevenson said this is what they do.
They visit businesses in the DMV and mob them by showing up with a crowd, spending money, and getting business owners visibility on social media.
"How many other black businesses are out here struggling with no help at all, struggling in silence," Lewis said.
She told WMAR 2 News that they've helped about seven businesses in seven months.
Quite a few of them have seen increased visibility since.
"One was Shady Side Mart, and her reel kind of went viral as well, and they did say people were coming for their fish fry Fridays, they were selling out."
They also help owners sustain their newfound success.
"We just wanna make sure that when people are seen and they need that visibility that they are branded correctly to sustain and keep their doors open, cause that's really what it is right," Stevenson said.
They were supposed to help out Natasha's friend, the owner of Freakin' Sweet Jars, but there was a change of plans.
"Instead of them going to see her, she sent them here. She said my friend needs it more. So when these people walked through the door, it was like an answered prayer," Natasha said.
Natasha's case was special.
Since she was in such dire need of help, Mob the Block started an online fundraiser for her, raising over $8,000 toward the $16,000
goal.
Natasha says now she'll be able to keep her cafe.
Head here for the link to the fundraiser for Bmore Made with Pride.
