(WXYZ) — A restaurant owner who’s been supporting frontline workers during the pandemic is now the one in need of help.
Like other owners, Yum Village owner Godwin Ihentuge is trying to make sure his business stays afloat during the pandemic.
He was in a car accident that has set him back thousands of dollars.
“It was just crazy," he said. "There was rain. There was this puddle on the expressway and I unfortunately had gotten into an accident.”
Ihentuge was behind the wheel Sunday on the way to buy food for a catering event when he got into an accident.
He doesn’t have a vehicle of his own, so he was borrowing his friend and mentor’s Dodge Ram.
After the crash, James Feagen rushed to the hospital to be by Ihentuge's side.
“The doctors said, ‘You really should take a week and rest.’ And I just wanted him to have some time and space to do that and not be worried about, ‘I got to get to the restaurant today or things are going to fall apart,'" Feagen said.
That's why he set up a GoFundMepage.
Ihentuge suffered minor injuries and has been resting since.
Because of the medical bills and issues popping up without him being in the restaurant, the campaign is hoping to raise $25,000.
Any money left over will go towards a new car for Ihentuge; Feagen said his damage will be covered by insurance.
Yum Village has been around for only a year and Ihentuge has been very supportive of frontline workers during the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ihentuge started the ‘Pay it Forward' online campaign. The campaign is meant to collect donations to help pay for food from restaurants in Detroit that are minority-owned and surpassed its online goal of $50,000.
But now he’s the one asking for support.
“We can all get a lot farther together, especially through this. That’s how I look at this.”
