Downtown straw vendors are pleading with the government to provide them with some sort of assistance in the wake of Hurricane Irene, which wrecked the temporary market they have worked in for more than a decade.
Straw vendors were shocked when they visited their workplace Friday morning and discovered that intense winds had blown the roof off.
A number of stalls were damaged as well.
“When I heard on the news that it was destroyed, I was very upset because this is my bread and butter,” said vendor Anne Green. “I don’t know what the government is going to do, I don’t know if they’re going to assist us. It’s very bad because I have four children in school and you have your bills.”
Green estimates she will lose about 100 dollars each day the market is closed.
Elaine Williams questioned how long she and her colleagues would be out of work.
“What I’d like to know is how long we have to stay home and if the government will help us,” she said. “Because it would not be right staying home for weeks with nothing at all. I need some money to pay my lil’ bills.”
