The Barn rallies community support for Hauppauge family following crash
$1 from every latte sold at those locations will be donated directly to the family.
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A Long Island staple is stepping up to help a Hauppauge family whose son was injured in a car crash.
Brian Yost remains in a coma as of Monday night after the Jan. 8. crash. His mother, Patricia Pesce, says her son was not only family. He was her lifeline.
Pesce lives with Parkinson’s disease and a speech disorder. She has relied heavily on Brian for day-to-day life. He also cared for his own 18-year-old son, Jason. According to Pesce, Brian quietly carried the weight of the entire household.
“He took care of the bills, the rent. I don't even know how much the rent is to be honest because he handled everything,” Pesce said.
Now, with Brian unable to care for his family, the community is stepping in.
When Irena Angeliades, owner of The Barn coffee shops, heard about the family’s situation, she knew she had to help. Angeliades owns The Barn locations in Huntington, East Northport, Ronkonkoma, and Patchogue.
Starting now, $1 from every latte sold at those locations will be donated directly to the Yost family. Angeliades says she will also personally match the total amount raised.
“It’s going to raise thousands and thousands of dollars for the Yosts, and that makes me really happy,” Angeliades said. “We haven’t met yet. We just met on FaceTime today and she really trusts me.”
In addition to the coffee shop fundraiser, a GoFundMe organized by a family friend has already raised more than $3,500 as of Monday night.
For Pesce, the support has been overwhelming.
“There really are no words to describe the appreciation I feel,” she said.
Angeliades says this is just the beginning. She plans to turn the latte fundraiser into a recurring tradition, with $1 from every latte sold every few months going toward a different cause across Long Island.
