Fan ChinaTown
Feeding and Nurturing Chinatown Residents
FAN CHINATOWN
We are Fans of Chinatown. We are Friends and Neighbors, we are Feeding and Nurturing. Our focus is feeding and nurturing Chinatown residents, friends, and neighbors through focusing on food security for seniors and public art restoration.
“FAN stands for Feeding and Nurturing, Friends and Neighbors. In Cantonese, FAN means rice.”
How Did FAN Chinatown Start?
During the pandemic lockdown I learned of the significant food insecurity among our Chinatown seniors. A volunteer (now a board member) told me a story that broke my heart. I was unable to look away and resolved to address this issue in some way. At the same time, many of our restaurants were suffering mightily, not only from lack of business but also, from racist attacks.My advocate’s heart was ignited.
I was invited to contribute to a video documentary project: Coronavirus: Chinatown Stories so Boston’s Chinatown could be represented among the NY Chinatown stories. I’m deeply humbled to have been able to do this work. As well, I wrote pieces for Food & Wine magazine, and Edible Boston, urging readers not to abandon Chinatown.
Our Community
Support FAN Chinatown
Info on 501 C 3 Status. We are so grateful for your interest in supporting [text text text] of Chinatown! You may [text to be filled in by Jackie] by visiting local Chinatown restaurants, purchasing from small Chinatown businesses, sharing our advocacy with your friends, posting us on your social media, engaging with us and our community, or even sending a donation of any amount, which will go towards [text].
Our Fan Founders
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Jacqueline Church
Founder, Writer, blurb here
FAN Chinatown Today
Taking inspiration from creative efforts to address food insecurity and restaurants’ demise both here in Boston as well as in NY, I made the decision to create a nonprofit organization to support existing efforts of our many Chinatown community organizations, and to innovate where the opportunity arose to expand the impact and reach of the aid efforts.
I strongly believe public art nurtures us in ways as important as food. Public art can document history, inspire action, and build bridges across linguistic and cultural divides. In Cantonese, FAN also means rice or food, and I’m dedicated to feeding others. I also strongly believe public art nurtures us in ways as important as food. We are fans of Chinatown. We are Friends and Neighbors, we are Feeding and Nurturing.
FAN Chinatown was born in 2022, taking the acronym FAN.