Grace Young’s Support Chinatown Initiative
Grace Young, “The Stir-Fry Guru,” James Beard award-winning cookbook author, and culinary historian continues to document the stories and the impact COVID-19, xenophobia, and decreased tourism and foot traffic has had on the Manhattan Chinatown community. Since March 2020, Grace has brought attention to the community’s collective experiences of hardship, misfortune, perseverance, and fortitude.
Grace is partnering with Welcome to Chinatown’s Sik Faan/Let’s Eat Fund to support Chinatown eateries and distribute food to the community. This ongoing campaign will provide fresh, nutritious, and familiar meals for low income, food insecure, and at-risk senior residents in NYC. Our original goal in March 2021, was to raise $20k to purchase 2,000 hot meals from legacy Chinatown restaurants Hop Kee, Hop Lee, Wo Hop (upstairs and downstairs) and distributed among our community partners that serve our neighbors in need.
Thanks to our generous supporters, our goal of $20k was exceeded with over $39k in donations to provide 3,900 meals! Unfortunately, the economic crisis in Chinatown remains critical and we must continue to support as many beloved eateries as possible. Therefore, we have decided to expand our program and make this an ongoing initiative to partner with more restaurants in the Chinatown community.
Please consider making a gift of $10 today to give a delicious meal for an in need resident and help provide critical business to struggling Chinatown restaurants.
About Grace Young
Since the start of the pandemic Grace has been a fierce advocate for Chinatown. Her video series Coronavirus: Chinatown Stories, —produced in collaboration with videographer Dan Ahn and Poster House—documents the toll of the pandemic on Manhattan's Chinese community. She is also partnering with the James Beard Foundation on an Instagram campaign to #savechineserestaurants all across the country.
2. Vogue
3. Food & Wine
5. Grub Street
About Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown is a grassroots initiative founded in March 2020 to support Chinatown businesses following the rapid decline in revenue as a result of COVID 19 and increased xenophobia. Welcome to Chinatown is dedicated to supporting the small businesses of Manhattan's Chinatown by offering free resources to generate cash flow, increase marketing presence, and amplify the voices of the community to reclaim its narrative as one of New York City’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Welcome to Chinatown is here to help say Chinatown will always be open for business.
Welcome to Chinatown’s Sik Faan Fund: focuses on providing fresh produce and nutritious food through Manhattan Chinatown’s restaurant, grocery, market, and tea parlor partners. This fund is inspired by the culinary richness of Chinatown and the cultural traditions of eating together and sharing a meal. We want to invite everyone to learn, experience, and taste the flavors beloved for generations. Let’s eat!
