Myron Lee is fundraising
Chinese New Year meals for SF Chinatown SROs
Hi everyone! As you may know, Chinese New Year (CNY) is coming up on February 12 and BeChinatown wanted to do something special for our single room occupancy (SRO) families with young children as well as support our local businesses in San Francisco Chinatown: we are planning to give out hundreds of “poon choy” 盆菜, a very traditional CNY meal that we will order from struggling restaurants in the neighborhood. For those who don't know what that is, here is some more info on poon choy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poon_choi
And for those who have not heard of SROs: they are crowded residential buildings with many rooms where often times entire families (like four people) live in a windowless room about 10x10 with all their belongings while sharing communal kitchens and bathrooms with others on their floor; many of you have closets bigger than these rooms. There is usually little or no space to walk and children tend to sleep, study, play and eat in the same space in their rooms. With no chance to social distance in such tight quarters, the risk of COVID-19 transmission is high. For more information, check out this USA Today story that one of our volunteers worked on a few months ago; the video embedded in the story gives you a good idea of their living conditions:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/10/18/coronavirus-asian-americans-racism-death-rates-san-francisco/5799617002/
(Photo from USA Today story)
Also, businesses in Chinatown have been hit especially hard over the past year, even before shelter in place began, as people stopped going to Chinatown due to the stigma that Chinese people are carriers of COVID-19.
Thanks to a few generous offline donors who wanted to do something for the community for CNY, we are currently able to purchase and distribute 300 meals but we need your help and donations to give to more needy families while supporting more Chinatown restaurants!
We are so excited to provide them these special meals. Not only does it get residents out of crowded, unsafe communal kitchens, but it provides them what many consider a luxury: a special meal (with different food items representing prosperity, wealth and health) to celebrate the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar with their families. Due to its price point and general lack of availability, many of them have never had poon choy or have not had it since immigrating to the U.S.
Please consider donating so we can get more of these meals to those who need it the most while helping our struggling Chinatown restaurants. No amount is too small and 100% will go back to the community. We specifically chose to support smaller "mom and pop" restaurants that have found it especially challenging financially to remain open during the pandemic.
On behalf of SRO residents and Chinatown restaurants: thank you for your consideration and we wish you a Happy Year of the Ox!
Love,
BeChinatown
P.S. BeChinatown, a coalition of community leaders, residents, merchants, property owners and native San Franciscans dedicated to maintaining the history, culture and legacy of the biggest and oldest Chinatown in the United States, is completely volunteer run and 100% of the proceeds for this campaign will benefit SF Chinatown restaurants and SRO families. It is fiscally sponsored by San Francisco Community Business Resource Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax deductible.
P.P.S. No matter where you are located, don't forget to go shopping for traditional CNY items and grab some food at your local Chinatown to celebrate the upcoming holiday. Help save Chinatown! For many of us, our ancestors worked too hard to have it disappear on our watch; we owe it to them to make sure that it not only survives, but thrives.
https://www.sfgate.com/local/editorspicks/article/San-Francisco-historic-Chinatown-is-at-risk-15848186.php
And for those who have not heard of SROs: they are crowded residential buildings with many rooms where often times entire families (like four people) live in a windowless room about 10x10 with all their belongings while sharing communal kitchens and bathrooms with others on their floor; many of you have closets bigger than these rooms. There is usually little or no space to walk and children tend to sleep, study, play and eat in the same space in their rooms. With no chance to social distance in such tight quarters, the risk of COVID-19 transmission is high. For more information, check out this USA Today story that one of our volunteers worked on a few months ago; the video embedded in the story gives you a good idea of their living conditions:
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/10/18/coronavirus-asian-americans-racism-death-rates-san-francisco/5799617002/
(Photo from USA Today story)Also, businesses in Chinatown have been hit especially hard over the past year, even before shelter in place began, as people stopped going to Chinatown due to the stigma that Chinese people are carriers of COVID-19.
Thanks to a few generous offline donors who wanted to do something for the community for CNY, we are currently able to purchase and distribute 300 meals but we need your help and donations to give to more needy families while supporting more Chinatown restaurants!
We are so excited to provide them these special meals. Not only does it get residents out of crowded, unsafe communal kitchens, but it provides them what many consider a luxury: a special meal (with different food items representing prosperity, wealth and health) to celebrate the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar with their families. Due to its price point and general lack of availability, many of them have never had poon choy or have not had it since immigrating to the U.S.
Please consider donating so we can get more of these meals to those who need it the most while helping our struggling Chinatown restaurants. No amount is too small and 100% will go back to the community. We specifically chose to support smaller "mom and pop" restaurants that have found it especially challenging financially to remain open during the pandemic.
On behalf of SRO residents and Chinatown restaurants: thank you for your consideration and we wish you a Happy Year of the Ox!
Love,
BeChinatown
P.S. BeChinatown, a coalition of community leaders, residents, merchants, property owners and native San Franciscans dedicated to maintaining the history, culture and legacy of the biggest and oldest Chinatown in the United States, is completely volunteer run and 100% of the proceeds for this campaign will benefit SF Chinatown restaurants and SRO families. It is fiscally sponsored by San Francisco Community Business Resource Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax deductible.
P.P.S. No matter where you are located, don't forget to go shopping for traditional CNY items and grab some food at your local Chinatown to celebrate the upcoming holiday. Help save Chinatown! For many of us, our ancestors worked too hard to have it disappear on our watch; we owe it to them to make sure that it not only survives, but thrives.
https://www.sfgate.com/local/editorspicks/article/San-Francisco-historic-Chinatown-is-at-risk-15848186.php
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