FEATURE
In 2020 , New York City launched a program offering $ 35 million in zerointerest loans to small businesses in lowto moderate-income areas to help them recover from the pandemic . But because of Chinatown ’ s proximity to higher-income areas such as Tribeca and SoHo , some businesses in the neighborhood didn ’ t qualify .
Lee and Tam knew that if they wanted to keep the soul of Chinatown alive , they would need to do more than purchase meals from restaurants . They would need to mobilize the community and help the area ’ s residents help themselves .
A community effort Over the past three years , with the aid of more than 100 volunteers , Welcome to Chinatown has evolved from a website where people could simply purchase gift cards , into a multi-layered organization that brings together talented businesspeople , local artists and craftsmen , and activists to keep the future of Chinatown intact .
For example , the organization has teamed up with small-business owners on collaborations to raise funds for the community , such as Sublima Jewelry ’ s dragon-inspired signet ring . It has also worked with local neighborhood spots , like Lanterne Candle Lab , to host events to raise funds and boost community morale .
Today , Welcome to Chinatown has three main components :
• Meet Chinatown , a digital directory of restaurants , boutiques , clubs and other businesses in the neighborhood .
• The Longevity Fund provides grants to support locally serving small businesses in Chinatown .
• Small Business Innovation Hub , a 2,500sqft space that is currently under construction , where the community will be able to network and receive resources and information , including a start-up accelerator and incubator program , an artist alley , and meeting rooms for entrepreneurs to rent out .
Run by three full-time and five parttime team members , the organization has amassed a strong social media following , with almost 47,000 followers on Instagram alone , and a number of high-profile celebrity collaborators , such as with actor Simu Liu , who recently appeared in Barbie , actress and rapper Awkwafina , who starred in The Farewell and Crazy Rich Asians , and actor and comedian Ronny Chieng , a senior correspondent for The Daily Show .
To date , Welcome to Chinatown has raised over $ 4 million dollars for the community , with $ 1 million dedicated to The Longevity Fund .
Additionally , it has built an e-commerce site for consumers to purchase goods from Chinatown enterprises like Wing on Wo & Co and Grand Tea & Imports . While older generations of business owners remain reluctant to switch to electronic POS systems , businesses that are less than 10 years old have embraced technology and are much more digitally savvy .
The non-profit has also worked with the community to host events , including a Lunar New Year fair and the 88 East fair , both of which were held at East Broadway Mall , an especially meaningful location .
The oldest and largest shopping hub in Chinatown , this once-thriving spot is now fighting potential closure . Lee and Tam hope that by hosting events at this location , they will send a message that Chinatown and its community are not ready to give up without a fight .
“ A point that we wanted to make specifically with 88 East Broadway is that we don ’ t need a big developer to come in and have a ‘ savior ’ moment to save Chinatown or save that space . So much of that can be done just within the community with the opportunity we ’ re given ,” Tam commented .
Still more work to do As much as the organization has been able to accomplish in the three years it has been operating , the journey has not been easy . Working full-time jobs and running a nonprofit is a mentally and physically taxing experience , though an emotionally rewarding one for the co-founders .
Tam noted that after a few months , she and Lee had to step back and get a view of the bigger picture .
The co-founders rallied the community in the face of rising anti-Asian hate crimes .
“ I got this advice from a co-worker of mine and it ’ s that you cannot pour from an empty cup ,” she said . “ When we started Welcome to Chinatown , we were just running on pure adrenaline . On top of the 40 hours at our job , we were pulling another 20 to 40 hours for Welcome to Chinatown , and we were just all systems go .
“ We started to recognize , as co-founders and builders of this organization , what things matter to us most – to ensure that we ’ re not just doing things that we feel are necessary to build the gaps , but things that we genuinely believe are real opportunities for this neighborhood .”
While much has been achieved , there is still more work to be done . Welcome to Chinatown ’ s 2022 impact report showed that visitation in the area was still down 50 percent from pre-pandemic numbers .
Neighborhood favorite bookstore Yu and Me Books experienced a devastating fire in July 2023 and the physical location is expected to be closed for a year while repairs take place .
In the past , the business might have shouldered this burden alone , Welcome to Chinatown immediately spread the word and issued a call to action to help the bookstore raise funding for repairs , workers ’ salaries , and events to be hosted before the shop reopens .
Slowly but surely , the community is working together to ensure a bright future for this entrepreneurial neighborhood . ►
September 2023 www . insideretail . us 23