As the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown ramps up across Minnesota — especially following a deadly shooting of a bystander named Renee Nicole Good last week — locals are rallying to support their vulnerable community members.
One such example is local pizza chain Wrecktangle Pizza.
“F—k ICE, eat pizza, and we love you,” representatives of the pizza joint and nearby sex shop, The Smitten Kitten, started a video on Thursday.
Here, they announced they were teaming up for a community initiative.
“We, at Wrecktangle, at all locations for the rest of the weekend, are going to donate one pizza for every single pizza sold, to families and friends that are affected by the increased ICE presence in Minneapolis,” one representative said.
In the caption, they noted that they are “set on volunteers” who would deliver pizza and other goods to people unable to leave home, but added: “We could really use some help raising funds to keep the momentum and keep people safe inside during these disturbing and uncertain times.”
Wrecktangle leaders said they started with $2,000 in donations from family and friends, and figured if they posted their Venmo information, they might be able to double that.
The support exceeded their expectations.
In addition to the collection of non-perishable foods and home essentials, two days later, they announced that they had received over $83,000 in donations.
Along with the donations, the local chain sold 2,291 pizzas between Thursday and Sunday.
“We couldn’t be more stunned — or grateful,” they shared on social media.
During this time, they distributed 600 pizzas, non-perishables, and toiletries to vulnerable families, adding that “we have been working only with volunteers we personally know and trust to ensure the safety of our community.”
But thousands more meals are being made and prepared for free delivery as quickly as possible.
Wrecktangle co-owner Breana Evans told Bring Me The News that nearly every local restaurant in their area has been negatively impacted by the presence of ICE.
“We have staff, coworkers who are directly affected and scared to come to work,” Evans said. “It’s not fair for our friends to be scared to provide for their families and make a living. We know how to make food. So, we said, let’s just start making food.”
The company began donating their 13-inch frozen pizzas privately by connecting with their network of neighboring businesses and organizations. But then they realized the community could expand their efforts even wider.
Trusted volunteers were sent off to deliver free pizzas and meal kits, and others came to the shop to help assemble the goods.
“I think that’s a testament to our community and that there’s more good in the world than this horrible bad that they’re making us go through,” Evans said.
After meeting an immediate need to distribute food, Wrecktangle owners are working to figure out how to best use the funds they raised to help the community.
“We are working hard with nonprofit organizations to make sure these funds do the most good. We have not yet touched a cent,” they shared on social media. “As soon as we have updates as to specifically where your kindness is going, outside of purchasing food and home products, we will keep you thoroughly updated.”
And on Sunday, to finish out the campaign, Wrecktangle encouraged supporters to spend their money with other local restaurants. For one day only, they accepted emails containing a photo of a receipt from any Minnesota restaurant, and an additional meal was donated on their behalf.
“A lot of our community wants to come back to work, and we need to make sure these restaurants can help support their staff,” Evans said in a social media video. “We need you to be there.”
As of Monday morning, Wrecktangle shared on an Instagram story that they received 176 emailed receipts, which translates to 176 more meals for vulnerable community members.
“This week has spread so much love and friendship,” the company added in an Instagram story. “And we couldn’t be more grateful.”
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Header image courtesy of Anna Shvets/Pexels
