An LA-based engineering firm is taking the next step in volunteerism, giving its services away for free to help small businesses rebuild.
"How disheartening this is and seeing the pain spread all across the country. We wanted to see what we can do to help," said Mark Ptashkin, of 120 Degreez engineering.
Where most people see broken buildings and shattered glass, Ptashkin and Amir Amiri see lives and livelihoods devastated.
"We just want to say that we want to be united. We want to be all together to fix things, not to destroy," Amiri said.
To help businesses come back, the two at 120 Degreez Engineering, which specializes in mechanical, electrical and plumbing design, are offering their services for free to five small businesses, casualties of civil unrest.
"That was someone’s hopes and dreams -- they're gone and it’s heartbreaking,' Ptashkin said. "We know people toil endlessly to try to get to that stage in their life and it's gone."
They are prioritizing businesses that don’t have insurance.
To qualify you need:
- Proof of damages from looting/vandalism
- A construction value of $2 million or less.
- Space of 10,000 square feet or less.
Part of their service will be guiding businesses through often complicated city code and permitting processes.
"We may even be able to help them provide other design professionals like architects or engineers depending on the scope and damage," Ptashkin said.
The damage across Southern California will total in the tens of millions to fix.
"Since we were kids we have been walking down these streets and we saw many of these buildings and we all have memories, so we have to come up with a way to fix it and make it the way it should be," Ptashkin said.
To sign up, visit the 120 Degreez website.
The two are also challenging other businesses to put their skills to work and offer whatever free services they can to small businesses hit hard by COVID-19 and civil unrest.
