Stolen Food Truck Fundraiser Brings In $11K For Owner In 2 Days

SILVER SPRING, MD — Since James Turner's food truck was stolen and later found damaged and stripped, he's been determined that he'll get back out there eventually.

Some friends, coworkers, and residents committed to getting the Beltway Bistro back on the road have put their money where their mouth is, donating to a GoFund Me for Turner that has raised more than $11,000 in two days.

"I'm really taken aback by the amount that people have donated so far," Turner told Patch on Tuesday afternoon.

At first he didn't feel comfortable setting a fundraiser up. Turner said a lot of people struggled financially this year and he didn't want to put anybody else in a tough spot. Turner went back and forth, but his wife told him he needed to let people help.

"Looking at the GoFundMe, it almost brings me to tears," Turner said. "I'm not afraid to say that because it reassures me there are people out there who understand the situation — who understand this is something I was working toward and I was so close to getting it, and it was all pulled away."

Turner's truck hadn't even been open for business yet when it was stolen. He was weeks away from that after a long period of fixing up the truck and getting it licensed. He's still waiting to hear from insurance about what he'll have to pay.

See Related:

• Food Truck Stolen: Beltway Bistro Missing Weeks Before Opening
• Food Truck Found Vandalized, Stripped: Beltway Bistro Owner

Anything he gets from the GoFundMe will go toward the truck, Turner said. He plans to outfit the new truck with more security features, including an alarm and GPS tracking. He still think it'll take three or four months to get back to opening, but said it'll definitely happen.

Some donors are friends and family, Turner said. Others are old coworkers, or people from the industry. Some are anonymous, or names that Turner doesn't recognize. One was a man who lives in Philadelphia, who called Turner after hearing about his stolen truck on YouTube. That was before the GoFundMe was even set up — he asked if he could do anything to help.

"That's somebody who I didn't know at all, who happened to call me out of the blue," Turner said. When the GoFundMe was set up, that man donated.

"It is all very touching, and it's a little bit overwhelming too," Turner said.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.