Englewood Business Owner Adapts To Coronavirus Crisis

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — Shilamida Kupershteyn, best-selling author and small business owner in Englewood NJ, is no stranger to adversity. And though struggle is familiar to her, so too is perseverance, and it is this unshakable will that has inspired the many evolutions that she has been forced to adopt in order to overcome the many struggles put in place by the coronavirus crisis.

Kupershteyn knows that people are struggling. And she knows that she can help. As someone who has spent years studying and perfecting self-spiritual and physical well-being, Kupershteyn realized that she wanted to share her aptitude for healing to anyone who might require it. In this, she is serving her community in more ways than one.

Riviera Produce has been an Englewood staple since 1993, providing fresh produce to the community. But in the wake of the pandemic, the entire business nearly went under in just a week.
48 employees lost their jobs.

Even as business continued to collapse, Kupershteyn and her partner changed Riviera Produce into Grateful Produce Box -- a produce business centered around personal residential delivery, an almost invaluable service in the midst of nationwide social distancing orders.

Since this revival, 10 of the 48 workers have been hired back, though every day remains touch and go for Kupershteyn.

In addition to the Grateful Produce Box, Kupershteyn runs an Acupuncture and Wellness Center, which is seeing only 20-30% of its normal level of patients.

“Not seeing sick patients breaks my heart,” Kupershtyen said, adding that they have resorted to telehealth sessions and virtual meditation, though nothing achieves the kind of therapeutic results that she can reach with her needles.

But above all, through the endurance and the struggle, Kupershteyn stresses the importance of remembering that we must continue marching on.

“We need to keep living life,” she said. “Life is meant to be enjoyed.”