Hoosiers Helping Hoosiers: $86,000+ raised for hospitality workers in need

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For a second straight day, WISH-TV has been proud to partner with the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association to help employees who have been without a paycheck for weeks and see no end in sight.

Sit in any room with six other Hoosiers chosen at random, and if you don’t work at a restaurant or hotel, by the numbers, one of them does.

So while it’s called Hoosiers Helping Hoosiers, it really could be seen as Friends Helping Friends, or Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

Hoosiers helping Hoosiers like Hunter Vale, who said, “We’re not prepared for not working one week, let alone two weeks, let alone one month.”

Or Alessandra Torrez, who said, “We’re getting through it by the grace of God.”

People who have always depended on the community for their paycheck now need the community more than ever.

“Every amount helps out. You think I can’t give that much. Every little bit helps. There’s a lot of hurting people,” said News 8’s Randy Ollis.

Donations from the Pacers, the Colts, the Fever, the Eleven, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, the Indianapolis Indians and more have made the help possible.

That’s along with a big boost from business donations: $10,000 from Republic National, $5,000 from Kite Realty, Zink Distributing, Oliver Winery and Constellation Brands, along with others.

But no matter the gift, there’s just one message: Thank you, Indiana.

Thank you, Hoosiers, for helping each other, when your friends — your neighbors — need it most.

“It’s good to know that the community is saying we know, we have you, what we need. It shows how deeply Indianapolis cares about the service industry and how much we care about them,” Vale said.

On Friday night, Hoosiers Helping Hoosiers had raised $86,825. More than $17,000 was raised from the silent auction alone.

If you are interested in donating to the cause, you can text INRLA to 74121 or visit INRLArelief.com.