Habibiz Café has been without front windows since early January, after being targeted in a string of hate crimes.
The café’s windows were smashed in, and a hateful note was left for the owners. On Monday, the community came together to rip the boards down and install new glass, free of charge.
“Winnipeg came together. Made us feel stronger, made us feel safer. And it’s nothing. It really is nothing. It’s not going to stop us, it’s not going to break us. It’s just a roadblock that’s made our place look better,” said Ali Zeid, the owner of Habibiz Café.
Food being cooked in Habibiz Café in Winnipeg. (Koby Mitchell, CityNews)
And it’s that unbreakable spirit of Zeid that caught the attention of Vince Croker, the vice president of a company that specializes in making “unbreakable glass.”
“These guys really touched my heart. They’re born and raised in Winnipeg. They’re just starting out in life. I want them to take a good positive out of this situation and build on it as a character-building moment,” Croker explained.
Croker said that hearing about hate crimes frustrates him, and that helping out good people when they need it is something he feels the world needs more of.
Habibiz Café in Winnipeg. (Koby Mitchell, CityNews)
“The Zeid family is well known in the city. I know a lot of the boys. They’re wonderful guys. They do a lot for the city, so giving a little bit back to the family, I think it’s pretty neat,” said Croker.
That little bit of help is going a long way, Zeid said that the cost of repairs ranges between $40,000 and $45,000.
“I had no idea how much glass was until we had this happen to us. Like everything that I see in the city happening, it’s sad. Glass is expensive. It’s too expensive. And to know that you have to replace it every month or every two months if something happens to it. Rock glass came through, and we thank Vince,” said Zeid.
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