The Hermitage Bookshop, Denver, Colo., has launched a $50,000 GoFundMe campaign to assist two of the shop's booksellers who were victims of a brutal home invasion on December 1. More than $41,000 was raised in the first 24 hours, and as of this morning that total has now exceeded the original goal at more than $53,000.
Joanne Weiss and her partner, Denie Orr, "experienced an unimaginable tragedy during a violent home invasion that has changed their lives forever," Hermitage noted on the crowdfunding page. "During the invasion, Joanne suffered multiple gunshot wounds that have left her paralyzed from the sternum down. Despite the enormity of this life-altering event, Joanne and Denie are facing the future with incredible courage, resilience, and determination. But the road ahead is long and filled with challenges, and they need our support more than ever."
Sam Butler, the bookshop's general manager, who started the campaign, told CBS News that Weiss has worked at the bookshop as a researcher and bookseller for nearly 30 years, while Orr has been there for about five years as a bookseller and cataloger.
"They really do bring the vast amount of knowledge to this place, as well as for me, personally," he said. "The two of them have been professional and personal mentors in this world.... Knowing how many people love them and have been impacted by them and the work at The Hermitage, it was the easiest thing in the world to create a link for people to go and give. So they could focus on one another, focus on recovery and regaining the joy of their home and the joy of their neighborhood and the joy of their work."
"To see the outpouring from all these different facets of life--in the midst of a truly unknown, truly dark and wicked encounter--is the thing that gives hope," said Butler.
"We've had so much support from our neighborhood, and we've lived in this neighborhood for 40 years," Orr noted. "Everybody has been so supportive everywhere where we work or we live.... That's not to minimize the truly horrific nature of what happened and the trauma that we'll no doubt be dealing with for many years. We're just trying to keep things moving forward."
She added that Weiss is recovering at Denver Health with a long road to recovery ahead: "She's doing great. She is so full of spirit and courage and brightness and positivity. I'm trying to match her resilience best I can, because she's an inspiration."