Businesses sometimes have to raise funds for themselves after unfortunate things happen, but it's rarer to see a business raising funds for their neighbours.

However, that's exactly what Grand Trunk and Queen's End owner Alison Barrie is doing.

She's stepped in to help the community before: when Jinks Art Factory closed, she stepped in and preserved it as a similar space.

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Now she's stepping up in a different way, to raise funds for neighbours Koffee Kween and Nerdgasm that were recently vandalized. Barrie created a GoFundMe to help the businesses on June 16.

"Our dear friends and neighbours at Koffee Kween/Nerdgasm were broken into," reads the GoFundMe. 

"Not only is this a violation of their safety and space, but it is also a huge financial blow to an important community business."

Koffee Kween is a cafe, and Nerdgasm is a hobby shop located at the same address.

Funds raised through the initiative would go towards helping recoup costs of replacing their broken glass door, stolen money, and garments/products. The shop also had to be closed on June 16.

"Every little bit helps," the GoFundMe page continues. "These wonderful people don't deserve this to happen to them."

Screenshot of Koffee Kween's post to their Story.

On June 17, Koffee Kween posted an update to their Instagram Story showing they've already fixed up the door and reinforced it with a gate, with the words "won't happen again." Both Koffee Kween and Nerdgasm are back open.

Screenshot of Nerdgasm's post to their Instagram Story.

Nerdgasm also posted to their Story saying the break-in was "the last thing they needed" and giving updates.

Update posted saying cops had stopped by.

The same day the break-in was discovered, they said cops and forensics came to take a report and found blood and fingerprints, but that the glass was already being repaired and cleanup was underway. Nerdgasm also took to their Story to thank Queen's End for setting up the GoFundMe.

Screenshot of Nerdgasm's Story thanking Queen's End.

"It really shows how this neighbourhood bands together," they wrote.

The fundraiser has a goal of $1,850 and was almost halfway there by the first day the GoFundMe was up.