HARLEM — Over the past three years Solace Bar & Grill in West Harlem has built a reliable customer base, said its owner Marisol Rossi.
“This place has become the go-to place where you feel like home,” she said.
Now Rossi is hoping to parlay that reliability into a fundraising effort to help the people of Haiti devastated by Hurricane Matthew.
Rossi said the destruction in Haiti from the hurricane was felt personally because she is from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
“Haiti is our neighbor,” she said. “We need to push more and get people to understand the severity of what’s happening in Haiti.”
The restaurant is partnering with Divas Leading Inc., a local nonprofit, to collect basic medical supplies such as bandages, gloves and other items — as well as cash — to donate to Haiti through the month of October.
Rossi said anyone could stop by the restaurant at the corner of 143rd Street and Broadway to donate.
Rossi’s restaurant will also be a fundraising base for Harlem families, starting Nov. 1.
The restaurant will sell Christmas elves to patrons,with all proceeds going to Perfect Peace Ministry of Harlem, where anti-violence leader Rev. Vernon Williams is the pastor.
“Hopefully we can make a difference,” she said.
Solace is open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays and 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
