Last week, 79 business owners in Chinatown received grants to help them bounce back from the after-effects of Hurricane Sandy. The program was set up by the Chinatown Business Improvement District and the Chinatown Partnership. Each business was given a check for about $1000.
At the urging of City Council member Margaret Chin, the groups launched a fundraising drive, including a benefit dinner, which raised $79,000. There were small donations but also some big contributions to the fund. First American International Bank (FAIB), CAIPA (Chinese American Independent Practitioner Association) and the Magna Carta Insurance Company all donated $10,000.
About one-third of the recipients were restaurants, which were closed for more than a week following Sandy and were forced to throw out a lot of spoiled food. Other recipients included Chinese herbal medicine stores and beauty salons.
