Discover the extraordinary tale of Betty Chinn, a name synonymous with hope in Humboldt County. Once a stranger in a new land, Betty's transformation from struggling immigrant to guardian angel for the homeless community is nothing short of miraculous. Our latest podcast episode uncovers her relentless pursuit to ensure that the underprivileged, particularly veterans, find their way back to a life of dignity. Betty's heartwarming anecdotes and life lessons, from feeding the homeless out of her minivan to setting up a shelter and day center, reflect her unwavering dedication to making a difference, one person at a time.
You'll be moved by the local heroics of an incredibly humble champion for change as Betty takes us through the evolution of her mission, navigating legal challenges and societal perceptions along the way. Her approach goes beyond basic needs, fostering self-reliance and a sense of community. Whether she's providing jobs to those in transition or rescuing victims of human trafficking during the pandemic, Betty's actions paint a vivid picture of what it truly means to serve. Her story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of compassion.
Betty Chinn's legacy goes beyond the meals she serves; it's about instilling the dignity of hard work and the importance of taking action. Tune in as she shares insights into her philosophy of giving, inspiring us to consider how we can contribute to the fabric of our communities. From donating valuable items to establishing trusts, every act counts. Her tales of philanthropy and the profound impact of collective effort will leave you contemplating the ripple effects of kindness and how you too can be a beacon of change in your corner of the world.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Discover the extraordinary tale of Betty Chinn, a name synonymous with hope in Humboldt County. Once a stranger in a new land, Betty's transformation from struggling immigrant to guardian angel for the homeless community is nothing short of miraculous. Our latest podcast episode uncovers her relentless pursuit to ensure that the underprivileged, particularly veterans, find their way back to a life of dignity. Betty's heartwarming anecdotes and life lessons, from feeding the homeless out of her minivan to setting up a shelter and day center, reflect her unwavering dedication to making a difference, one person at a time.
You'll be moved by the local heroics of an incredibly humble champion for change as Betty takes us through the evolution of her mission, navigating legal challenges and societal perceptions along the way. Her approach goes beyond basic needs, fostering self-reliance and a sense of community. Whether she's providing jobs to those in transition or rescuing victims of human trafficking during the pandemic, Betty's actions paint a vivid picture of what it truly means to serve. Her story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of compassion.
Betty Chinn's legacy goes beyond the meals she serves; it's about instilling the dignity of hard work and the importance of taking action. Tune in as she shares insights into her philosophy of giving, inspiring us to consider how we can contribute to the fabric of our communities. From donating valuable items to establishing trusts, every act counts. Her tales of philanthropy and the profound impact of collective effort will leave you contemplating the ripple effects of kindness and how you too can be a beacon of change in your corner of the world.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome to the 100% Humboldt podcast with my new best friend, Betty Chin.
Speaker 2:Nice to meet you.
Speaker 1:Nice to have you. Yeah, this is the whole thing is all about people making a difference in Humboldt County. There's my map. I always point to it and I think you're right at the top of the list. So tell us the Betty Chin story.
Speaker 2:Betty Chin story. Okay, Betty Chin is crazy. Good, who is it? And when I come to this country more than 50th century ago, my first time in my life, I see people smiling. And then after that, everywhere I go, the people did not judge me. And no matter. I go to the supermarket on the street, the people always look at me and smile. And then I say you know how I can pay back to these people, so kindness in the United States. And then I made myself own promise. Besides, I got my freedom in this country, the kindness from these people from this country. I wanna do something for them, but I don't know what to do. I cannot read, I cannot write and total of strange in here. And I was still meal in that time, so how old were you.
Speaker 2:When I came here, probably around 10, 11 years old.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 2:And then later, after I married, I had my kid and then first time I meet the girl at my son's classmate and she said she's hungry, she had no food to eat and I asked and my son I had. My son asked them why and then he said because they live in a car outside the Montgomery Park, a lot like in the parking.
Speaker 2:So that's how I started to feed the people First family of the four, and then over the years like now it's a 43 years now I had more and more people and then, after that family, the children. I my priority is for the veteran- oh good. Because they give their life for my freedom. So over the years I got more and more and more and I get myself more and more travel, so kids that veterans good. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love it. Yeah, now we're humble heroes. We do veteran recognition once a month at my office. Yeah, so I was reading, so you came from China and you were there during Mao and that whole thing, and that was really terrible, right.
Speaker 2:I was. That time was a cultural liberation by Mao, and then I was the youngest wife. Swimming caused the Bay from China to Hong Kong.
Speaker 1:Whoa, how far is that?
Speaker 2:To Maya.
Speaker 1:Two miles.
Speaker 2:Between the ocean and the bay, and then the coast to Maya.
Speaker 1:You swim there.
Speaker 2:Without any skill for swimming skill.
Speaker 1:Wow. And so then you came to the States. Where did you come from? Did you come to Eureka first?
Speaker 2:No, and then they found me on the soil. And then the American Council found out I'm a daughter of the US citizen.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:So I had no family. My family's still in China, my mom's still in China in jail. And then they helped me locate my older and second older sister in the United States. And then they found me, the United States with my sister. But I never met my sister until I met them in the San Francisco airport.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, how long ago was that.
Speaker 2:More than a half century ago.
Speaker 1:When you said Montgomery wards, I didn't go back. That's a long time ago, 43 years ago 50 some years ago. So for you kids out there, target is here in Eureka. It used to be a store called Montgomery wards which was like Sears oh wait, you don't know what that is either. Try JC Penney's. Nope, you don't know what that is either. Okay, anyway, so you found and you fed this family for the first time. So that's you reaching out to.
Speaker 2:And then in that area behind there they had a lot of trees in there. Some veteran come out and say they did not identify their veteran Just say I'm hungry, can you buy me some food too? Then that's how I start from that area, and then later I found out a lot, a lot of veteran in other side of the bridge. Then I go out the bridge and then over the year.
Speaker 1:So back in that day it was probably some fairly recent Vietnam veterans, right?
Speaker 2:You know, within 10 years probably, but I do have some like a Korean war too.
Speaker 1:Really Okay that we're still homeless yeah still homeless.
Speaker 2:And then later we had the Eric war in a desert.
Speaker 1:Right desert storm. Yeah, a lot of this is younger yeah. So your ministry started from small.
Speaker 2:One family for four.
Speaker 1:One family, wow, wow, that's great. I love it. So what's your role today? What's your job title? What's your? I realize you probably do everything between Costco and scrub the toilets, like every manager, right. But what's your official duty?
Speaker 2:I'm volunteer director for our Betty Quentin homeless from Denson, and then I work 22 hour a day Wow 22 hours a day.
Speaker 1:So you're on call for 22 hour.
Speaker 2:No, we had. We had hard find an employee and then when they don't come to work, you had to be there. Oh right, I start from midnight and then I go home, probably 12, 30, and then take a shower and come back and then watch family show and the respite and the woman show and then by four o'clock cooking and then go out to pass out the people for breakfast and then come back and take the kid to school and then come back open the eight o'clock until four.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so on two hours of sleep.
Speaker 2:Probably I like it. I get 45 minutes sleep.
Speaker 1:Really Everyday Wow.
Speaker 2:I still haven't got the COVID yet.
Speaker 1:You ever got COVID? Good good, May you not get COVID. No, it's still fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. That was a tough, but it's much better. Covid is very horrible, but I see a lot of unity, yeah, A lot of people in there. They are so silent and very close and then even we are long but we still can serve in the people yeah.
Speaker 1:So do you get a day off? So you are the director and the number one volunteer? Yeah, how about a vacation? Can we just do a vacation Now? You went back and got recognized by Obama, right? So that was at some time off. Yeah, but just-, but you had to come right back probably.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and funny face. I was invited to go to New Year for the lunch. I get in there and had the lunch and come in that light of way, so I wasted time, wasted money and then in some way they say that's good for you, you had to do it, Just like Obama and I. When he tell me get me a medal, and I say you know what I need a medal for, Right, Could the suit box go under your bed?
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, right. And then why don't you write a check for Obama?
Speaker 2:And then he said best to do really help you to your you find your ways for your client, yeah.
Speaker 1:Nice. So someone nominated you and you-.
Speaker 2:Actually my neighbor looked the letter to him and then he called me. I hand him, I hand up the phone, and then I was very busy feeding people at the Surrey Inn and then he called. I said I'm sorry, I'm very busy right now and then a lot of people on the line and then he called my husband in my house and say tell Betty, this is really a precedent.
Speaker 1:It really is.
Speaker 2:Sorry sorry.
Speaker 1:Barack, I'm really busy feeding people and you can try me back later. That's good.
Speaker 2:And so I talked to him but he called back. He called back and he tell me why he called me. My husband asked him can you tell me why? I said no, I had talked to Betty. And then my husband says it's really a precedent.
Speaker 1:So you weren't convinced it was really him the first time.
Speaker 2:You know what? I meet a lot of people, but I never look at anybody about anybody. We all human beings. That's what I look at it. So when I went to the White House, he gave me metal and he know I had a bad problem. So we walked back and forth. At the East White House, the area had a red carpet and they always had conference there.
Speaker 2:So he asked me say, betty, how you like it In the White House? It's nice. And then they had reception there. I don't like your butler, keep following me, ah cause you're usually cooking. Yeah, and then had a towel in there saying you want a water, you want to eat? That's not my stuff.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And then next face. He asked me how you feel in the White House, in red carpet Walk with the president. I turn around. I said, mr President, if all my respect you, you just like anybody I met every single day.
Speaker 1:Perfect. What do you say?
Speaker 2:And then he turned around get me a hug and he said that's what I want to hear, betty. And then, because of really highly, the people will say something like that because I'm a president, but anyway, he turned around.
Speaker 1:You got a hug.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice, yeah, Is it a nice band.
Speaker 2:Good, I mean he's a good guy. I mean it's really do. And then when people, he choose the people, it's not like you are rich or famous anything, average people there, that's just good yeah, so you're recognized amongst other people. And a few more people. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:Wonderful good for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember reading that, so I remember meeting you at the Crisio, the Catholic overnight thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That was like many years Many many years ago, maybe 10, 15 years ago. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I was really impressed because you hear about somebody and then you meet them and you go oh, oh, yeah, I met her. She's average person.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I just like I say yeah, just be, yeah, I live here.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So tell me some stories, maybe of your adventure of the Betty Kwan Center. So let's talk about that. How did that grow? What's the arc of that story in terms of how that went? And I understand you're building a shelter on the bay too, right? Can we do that story that?
Speaker 2:arc. Yeah, sure. So before I want to clear up something in here, since I'm in here, and then when I feed the people more and more and more and more so, first in an area on the Adorti Center, the area under the bridge.
Speaker 1:Adorti.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then irritate a lot of people, and then how did you have it?
Speaker 1:Like a truck?
Speaker 2:And yes, foot truck, but no, in that time I did not have, I had mini van. And then the cop go after me and tell me I'm not allowed to go to second, third and fourth street from then on.
Speaker 1:Eureka, please sit down yeah.
Speaker 2:Because I've been a lot of homeless, and also when people in the community say I am creating homeless environment for your liquor. But again, I am not about the law. In that time I did not have a foot license. I don't know how to trap and the cop have every right what they do. And then so I understand that. And then later somebody hear about the story somewhere from North Dakota somewhere and build a truck and ship it to me and call Mark the dealer. Ship from.
Speaker 1:Chevrolet the Chevrolet.
Speaker 2:And they call me up.
Speaker 1:Northwood Chevy. Hey, mark yeah.
Speaker 2:You had a truck here.
Speaker 1:They shipped you a truck.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then I have a full truck.
Speaker 1:Is that the green one that has the?
Speaker 2:The blue one.
Speaker 1:Blue, blue. Yeah, it has the cooler.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we had a coffee maker, the cooler, and an oven.
Speaker 1:Wow, all in a little truck.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then we used that and then I got the license for the foot management license, so I'm legal. And then from that happened, I don't mind freedom, but the people had an attitude. They feel like I owe them.
Speaker 1:The homeless yeah.
Speaker 2:I owe them and then they don't understand how much label and money to make the foot for them.
Speaker 1:And then bring it to them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, All I ask them pack up the garbage. You're done. Put the garbage in the garbage bin. I can dump it. Make it better for the community. Did they do it. They don't do it, they don't do it. And then I say you know what? You guys so young? I'm much, much older than you, so let's go to work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hey guys yeah, let's go to work and then we have the fun job to work and then feed them is not sort of a problem. Yes, we feed anybody hungry. When you're hungry, feed you good, but when you waste the food, the entitlement.
Speaker 1:Entitlement.
Speaker 2:I don't want to be that one.
Speaker 1:So there was a title people and rude throwing the trash.
Speaker 2:Only one out of 100. One out of 100. But the 99 is good, the one is bad apple. But I fed other people so and then that time I said let's open a day center. And then they came, and then we had a fun job. So after they found a job, and then I feel like I see a lot of people dying on out there, so we opened the respite and then when they sick or they do chemo they can come to me in there. So I'm still going to be the family shoulder. We're the only one. Take the father and mother and the children. So after that the power march is erection. They had nowhere to go. Some business grew up, the businessmen and donated shipping container to me. So we take 40 people at a time. I let them come in with the dog, but no drug use it. You can withdraw the drug but cannot burn the man.
Speaker 1:You said dogs are OK. Yes, but no drugs.
Speaker 2:No drug and no alcohol in when you're in there.
Speaker 1:Where's the set now?
Speaker 2:First at the Mercer Fisher place and then six months we moved to the West Washington.
Speaker 4:OK, yeah.
Speaker 2:Right now we take the people out of jail and mental health and drug user but we help them get the program and get in the program. If they want to go ahead a very serious user we send them out of the area to the rehab. I have four rehab give to my client for free.
Speaker 1:Wow so rehabbed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they can go, and he only one in the local. Right, we'd like. So they had to go to work. And then a student from Humphill, student from CR. They come in and elderly, mental ill and discharged from a simple while and come in so they can stay there more than 90 days. But what do you do? After 90 days? They had more. If somebody working it's a fun job. If not, what do you do? So we start a new project on a Bayfront.
Speaker 4:Right right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in a heal factor area. So we had 31 unit, wow. So what do you do? Each unit? We maybe charge them $200 a month. If they don't have money, we can pay up the people in. We pay the rent. The community People donate the money, pay the rent.
Speaker 1:So it's going down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's on the way, not quite done yet. So the idea is they earn some rental quotelet. If they don't have a quote to the rental, nobody would rent a house to them.
Speaker 1:Right, nobody.
Speaker 2:So that means we follow the circle from the beginning, from the street and all the way to the container, the family shelter, and then go in there and then in this place, at the heal factor place, and then we follow the circle. But you're the poet. My phone opened 24-7. Anybody can call me anytime. I answer the phone. I always answer the phone call to anybody.
Speaker 1:Was it busier during COVID?
Speaker 2:I found a lot of human trafficking.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Somebody bring them back to Humboldt County and dump them on the highway 101, I go all the way to 199, past question city and the people call me found somebody in there to 199 and then all the way outside of Garford Whale. But one thing really for me, I like now I learned something Highway 36, that is really hard for me to go. I've never been Highway 36.
Speaker 1:It's really wavy.
Speaker 2:And then in the middle of the night, normally I go out at 11, 30, or 12, and the people call me. I come back, maybe sometimes at morning time.
Speaker 1:So quick, hard, stop. So you deal with human trafficking. Somebody calls, they say I have somebody out on Highway 36 in the woods, injury, injury, injury Okay, one in the morning, whatever. And you get in the truck and go get them yeah, nice, and then bring them back to the shelter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then my neighbor had a place for rent and then so I think we need something for the woman Also. A lot of women get abused Because the first time they together in the same room, the men lose their temper, also beat them up.
Speaker 4:Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I talk about not blood Out the shelter.
Speaker 2:No at home, so they dump there and then they are not blood, they're into physical injury Like a kidney, the lung, all kind of injury, wow yeah.
Speaker 1:So is it so my head always goes to? Is this part of Humboldt County, or the oops, the marijuana industry? Is it just? No, just crazy hillbilly people.
Speaker 2:I had no idea. Normally, when they skip and they stop the car, borrow the people's phone call and call me.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:That kind of stuff. So at that time I need to open up the woman's shelter.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:In the one time we had six women, six different foreign language.
Speaker 1:Whoa, so these are people from out of the country. Definitely evidence of trafficking right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you know Tina Katrina Sims? She's an expert on trafficking. She lives she's her neighbor in McKinleyville. She was on the show too. Yeah, Said it's a real problem.
Speaker 2:So I went. I went very lucky, and then I don't know how the conversation with them unless a Google translation. So I called the embassy in San.
Speaker 2:Francisco. I tell them who am I, what am I doing? I leave my phone number. I tell them you can go to Google, check me out, see what am I doing. I'm not the only anything. If you want, you can call me back, or I will call you back tomorrow and then I get them some time to do some research. Normally they will call me back and then they work with me. Nobody want to go home, except one when I go back to the country, rest when they stay, and then they get them a political asylum.
Speaker 1:An asylum yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then they can stay in here, but like now, they're all in their own house, they move out and then Is this part of the center on 7th Street? Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's a woman shelter. It's all women OK. So children, women and veterans.
Speaker 4:Good.
Speaker 1:Good, good, good. So tell us one of your favorite stories about redemption and somebody that came full circle from darkness and made it back out and was re. Did they call it re-homed?
Speaker 2:Yeah, re-homed, and a job and family and so I had somebody come to me and I met and they tell them the couple come to talk to Betty, talk to Betty, and then they have very, very bad background, you know, and then you can see all races remark everything in your body. So and then I take them in and then they had to learn to be detached, homeless in this lifestyle. And then they keep saying I want to volunteer. I said no, I want to focus your life, not the volunteer, like now is for your time. So they done and then we held a fun job. And then this happened like a year, two years ago, and then she got a job and he had a tough time to find a job.
Speaker 4:So there's a couple yeah.
Speaker 2:So, and then she got a job, and then first I hired them the first to the nice staff. That way at least they had some sort of income.
Speaker 4:Sure yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then they can use for personal. But he really had a tough time to find a job. I only let them go to help people clean up the yard, something like that.
Speaker 4:Sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so later they both he got a secret job for them, the non-profit and the driver, and then he got a job. Or thank God for building a cabinet.
Speaker 4:OK.
Speaker 2:So they both got a job and then they moved out the village and they live in an Airbnb.
Speaker 1:Very nice.
Speaker 2:And then after that, at the end, let's say September, they moved in a permanent housing.
Speaker 1:Very nice.
Speaker 2:They both had income. And then they say they rent a place, they rent to buy something like that. Ok, so they still had a job and it's very hard. You know what happened the homeless people is they doing well, make you worry. In certain time they had a self-reliant, a sabotage cycle.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I had a watchtower I had. Even they moved the house. I had to follow the next section of mine.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 2:Make sure no clothes are never leaving long. Make your bed no more paper good.
Speaker 1:So you keep an eye on everybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then don't sleep in your couch in the morning. Make your bed before you go to work.
Speaker 1:Make your bed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that kind of stuff Like a lip-worn again, and sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's really really bad. Sometimes when they get in the house they can do anything they want to do. They go up to the drug, they give them a drink and then after six months, and unless they invite me, then I don't have to go. But we also had connection there. Oh yeah, relationship it's a lot, a lot of work what I do right now. We have over 500 people to feed. Wow.
Speaker 2:And then every single person I meet. We had a personal connection. Four o'clock I had go out, I banned them, the group, from Sendoon all the way to Trinidad, and then I get them a donut or cookie or muffin or something, and then with their coffee Coffee, coffee.
Speaker 2:And that's the only time they got a signal they had a type of medication. I cannot tell them type medicine, Right? So and those group, the people probably 100 and 200 people like that they don't come out of town, they just hit me there. I cannot have a volunteer either because, they don't trust anybody.
Speaker 1:Nobody, they trust you. Yeah, I bet they do. Yeah, like you said. You said call Betty. So if I have a problem, call me. That's such a rare, isn't that? A cool humble hearer thing? Nick's all. Yeah, that's amazing. So it's the call Betty show Our concern. My concern would be who's taking care of Betty? That?
Speaker 2:is crazy. How are we going to?
Speaker 1:have Betty here for another 100 years. Folks, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Now I tell you what when people call me, any agency call me, If I can do it, I will do it. If I cannot do it, I refer to different agency and the agency knows me very well.
Speaker 1:Super valuable to the network person. Yeah.
Speaker 2:They trust me and I really keep my promise. Like yesterday, we had five family moving out.
Speaker 1:Wow, five families moved out when they moved out.
Speaker 2:they had nothing, so we had provided all the furniture.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:Everything.
Speaker 1:So you have connections, you just pick up the phone and Well I am.
Speaker 2:They found a house. I said you do your part. You're looking for housing. I am going to help in your to looking for housing. And then we had some volunteer full time to help them write application for the housing.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, nice, so let hard stop. So if we want talking to people everywhere in the world, if people want to help you, help the program, help the chief volunteer so she could help other people. How do we give to the foundation? What do we do? So there's obviously a website, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, and you can write a check to us. Easy for me. You get me money. I buy what I need, Like right now. Last week I had a guy who had a birthday on a 50-year-old birthday. Wow. And then he said Betty, I don't know what to do, but I'm going to have the birthday dancing on the women's club. Whatever the people pay to come in the donation, go to you and then end up. They had almost $800.
Speaker 1:Is that right?
Speaker 2:Wow, it gave to me and then I used the money for the voucher to buy the long-term voucher.
Speaker 1:Very nice yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what they had? A lot of time. I've been paid up to close. It's so heavy and dumb and dumpster. They can have time. They can wash the clothes.
Speaker 1:Sure, they can, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:They had to somewhere for themselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. So what I've heard about you here's the word on the street there's nothing Betty won't do for people, nothing If I'm trying and I'm sincere and I'm broken and I'm trying to better myself, my family. However, if that changes, you are able to change with that and go hey, maybe it's time you have a holy. No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2:But I tell you what happened. They're ready.
Speaker 4:They are ready.
Speaker 2:I see every Saturday and Sunday really united family and the son or daughter on the street. The mom still lives in the car and they leave the car and then, really united, they had lunch together.
Speaker 4:Oh nice.
Speaker 2:And I will see a mom cry. When they have the lunch. They go separate, go different way, but when I see the father cry, really touch me and then the only thing to follow for the homeless son or daughter or anything, I tell them do not fight, just had a peaceful lunch.
Speaker 1:Peaceful meal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then talk a little bit and you had no problems. You see your father with your family.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 2:Right, but they just cannot handle you when you're at home. This happened to real well-known family in Humboldt County.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I tell the parents you're not alone, can happen to anybody. But also, really, I've come my present, I don't have to deal with that. And if that happened to me, I don't know how to deal with it.
Speaker 1:You get along good with your husband.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:He's a physics professor, retired at Humboldt. Yes, cal Poly, humboldt yes, when did he retire?
Speaker 2:He retired for a while now and then our son. They both they grew up, so I really come Are they here. No, I went in a Bay Area. He's a medical researcher and the other one assistant dean for the University of Oregon.
Speaker 1:Very nice Proud mom.
Speaker 2:You know, community didn't build them. Raising my kid we are the parents provided dinner and played to sleep, and the teacher is the one Mold them help them. I always tell my kid, I always say even this day, right now, whatever they come on. They also got to visit the teachers.
Speaker 1:Before I forget, let's go back to the money thing real quick. If we want to give money, it's Betty Kwan Chen. Honest fund, then Honest fund, betty Kwan. K-w-a-n, c-h-i-n.
Speaker 2:One N, two N.
Speaker 1:Two Ns Like Don Chen. You know Don Chen, the realtor I heard about him. Yeah, he's a good guy he's my friend, yeah, good guy. His daddy owns Chen's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know Ben, yeah, yeah, and then if and then you have a book.
Speaker 1:What?
Speaker 2:No, I can get your address in here, ok.
Speaker 1:I don't know. So, betty Kwan Chen, is you're on Facebook?
Speaker 2:I own it's Facebook, yeah.
Speaker 1:Facebook, google. There's a way to get an address write a check, we could call you. Call me anytime. Sounds like your phone's pretty public.
Speaker 2:But you know what? I want you to come to visit.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't want to. Just I tell you. I want you to see what we're doing.
Speaker 1:That'd be great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I tell people, just tell me, tell me, I want to be there to reveal and show you what we're doing and, like, I just tell Ned about it. And then we had the group from Porsche came over to do the documentary.
Speaker 1:Porsche like the car.
Speaker 2:Oh, Porsche, the country.
Speaker 1:Oh, that country, OK yeah.
Speaker 2:Come over Wow.
Speaker 1:And do a documentary about you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, from Warren Brothers. And then they come. 10 people came and they said I never see any soda so clean.
Speaker 4:Wow, that's very nice.
Speaker 2:You know what? So my best job is to clean up the bathroom.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I want to clean the nice. That's good.
Speaker 1:My wife said clean bathroom People are coming over. The bathroom better be clean, Nick Scott.
Speaker 2:And I wash dishes. That's the best therapy Wash dishes.
Speaker 1:See, now I'm kind of uncomfortable because it turns out that I do a lot of things very nice, so that's a different thing, but I always forget the dishes. I get in trouble because I didn't do the dishes. The whole house is clean, my bed's made the kids everything, oh no, the dishes Anyway.
Speaker 2:That's not your gift.
Speaker 1:It's not my gift. They're broken, honey. I don't know what happened. I broke the dishes again, so the foot of Hilfiger is going to come online with the apartment. Are they containerships?
Speaker 2:No, they are built a unit, 31 units. It's a unit for one person or a community kitchen.
Speaker 1:So we shower and everything, even a dog yard. So is this the old Humboldt Bay Fire training yard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a tower.
Speaker 1:Yeah, our friend Chris Kemp was in the tower. The tower was named after hi, Chris. He was a fireman locally. Yeah, it's a beautiful site.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and like in the front, we built 10 units. 10 units just for the handicapped.
Speaker 1:Very nice.
Speaker 2:They can face the bay.
Speaker 1:And people could have a dog.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, we had a dog for them play too.
Speaker 1:That's an important therapy too, huh.
Speaker 2:Dog is the security guard, the family member and the blanket.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, so very key. So I want to go back. So you and I don't want to be the naysayer, because it's pretty positive all the time, the homeless that you deal with, the homeless profile, the demographic, the persons, our families, kids, moms, trying to make it, and then it seems like we see we I don't know who we are I see and people that some people I know, they see the other homeless that make a mess of my alley or pee or poop or, or you know, defecate, or I really like Zach, he sits in the back of my alley and I love he's very respectful, but he's back there shooting up, and so it's like there's that I don't want to do too much candor here, too real, but there's that homeless that I think we all think about and that's not necessarily could be some people you feed.
Speaker 2:Oh, I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that's that's not the core of who you're helping. Sounds like you're helping the people that want want to hand up, not a handout.
Speaker 2:So the people shooting the alley and stuff like that, I get them, I go, I see them. So what happened? This group of people? I go out, I sit in the sidewalk and down there and talk to them. We don't get the advice, we don't get the suggestion and we don't just listen. So I say you know what? I have a spot for you. Wow, are you ready to change?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You ready to change? You can quit with me. And some say you cannot use a drug or a drink in my place.
Speaker 1:And some say no right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they tell me honestly, they say I'm not ready yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm not ready.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I say, okay, you're not ready. This is my community here and I had a lot of people care for your guys but don't know what to do. But your guys met the image for the people Doesn't know how to deal with it because your needle everywhere, garbage anywhere, pee everywhere and I said, can you do better? If you need a garbage bin, I can catch you, but that's a mental health and drug problem.
Speaker 2:And then I had somebody come to my beverage lesson of one week. We do long check when they stay with me and long check and then make sure they met the bad before the next step. And one day the staff say you know what? We found a guy over the door, very stinking smell, and don't you want to come and look at it? I said don't do anything, let me come. I do it. I opened the door Seven pile of poop right in the front of the door Too bad.
Speaker 2:And then I had to. I had cleaned them up in the corner. They had whole bunch to close there with the pee, but the whole thing needed to be done. And then he said sorry, miss Betty, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, can I help anything? And he started to cry. I said you know what we'll do. Why don't you? You hold up the garbage bin, let me several, one by one, clean up and then you hold the bag. And he said okay, okay, I can do that, I can do that. So after that happened, next whole month, 30 days, never happened again.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's good yeah, so he had mental illness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really believe anything happened. Whatever you in your psychological power, but deep inside they understand what's good or what's bad. Just get them a time. And then he keep asking me you'll get me out. And then I had nowhere to go. I said I'm not going to get you out, good for you. I'm 32 years old.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but he pulled it together.
Speaker 4:Good.
Speaker 1:Good. So you know you've been probably into some dark alleys and back roads of humble. Ever been assaulted, ever felt like you're in danger? Never. That's remarkable Perception would be hey, there's Betty down in Old Town at midnight helping somebody with her amazing heart, and then nothing, so always safe.
Speaker 2:I tell her. One time I took the coffee and the donut to the group and then on the other side, the center area, and I had a spiral injury on my back and I fell.
Speaker 4:Oh no.
Speaker 2:So my waist down, completely numb, no feeling what you going to do, Just lie down on there and soak in what early hour in the morning? So I do my meditation and then finally, after an hour or so, the sunlight coming out and then I can feel my tangle coming back. So I try to get up. But I had rolled them over and get up, something like that. I had nine men surround me and then they've been waiting for me. They didn't see me bent a coffee and donut. They were worried about me.
Speaker 4:They were concerned.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they weren't even looking around me. I said what the heck are you guys doing?
Speaker 1:That even said what Prayin for you.
Speaker 2:Don't say something to me I had laid down here, so long. Where's the donuts? Yeah, in the donut. Go go understand.
Speaker 1:Finally got to get up and serve the donuts.
Speaker 2:And then they say you know, miss Betty, because you're lying down there and no strength, and I don't want you feel scared when you cannot move. We're all in here, nice. And then I said I can look at you guys, but you know, at least you talk to me and I don't feel like it by myself here. All the animals walk by me. So anyway, I never feel scared.
Speaker 1:So where does your power and your strength and your fearlessness, your grace, come from?
Speaker 2:I feel really from my young life. I go through a lot and nothing can scare me and I feel like I've done a right thing. I feel like I'm a chosen one.
Speaker 1:You said chosen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really do.
Speaker 1:So you're Roman Catholic, right? Yeah, by faith.
Speaker 2:My faith. And then also, too, you had a gift. You can do that, not anybody. You had your gift and I had mine.
Speaker 1:It's not dishes.
Speaker 2:You're also not dishes, for sure.
Speaker 1:Joni, not dishes, no dishes. Sorry, I thought my gift.
Speaker 2:So that's what happened, but it took me 10 years to struggle about why I call in to help the people and how come sometimes I deny somebody. It took me a long, long time to understand. And then I have tell myself. Actually, one of the homeless people tell me I tell them. I said I feel so bad I deny you. Actually, he's the one tell me. You are not denying me. I am not ready yet.
Speaker 4:There you go, yeah, yeah, so he owned it.
Speaker 2:That kind of relationship we had.
Speaker 1:I like it. That's very honest, straightforward. So this is the part of our show. I got to get the bell up here, right? So, betty, this is kind of a quiz show Ready. This is where it gets really fun. I want to know what a fun day would look like for you at Humboldt, eureka. What is fun for Betty Kwan?
Speaker 2:I can take the kids go out to the beach, Ah the kids. The kids from the shelter or out to the programming.
Speaker 1:Just go to Plain Beach or somewhere.
Speaker 2:Somewhere and get yourself wet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you just go take the kids out and the parents love it because they get some space.
Speaker 2:Oh, the parents. Sometimes they like a kid they leave for a. Born and raised in the Humboldt County never had a chance to go to the beach.
Speaker 4:Go figure, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they say, when you live by Disneyland, you never go to Disneyland. Go figure, yeah, yeah. So question number two If we give you a donation but it has to go to you for dinner out, where do you go to take Mr Chen? Where do you guys go to dinner? I haven't done that. You haven't eaten out. No, you had to cook your own dinner.
Speaker 2:I scrapped a pan.
Speaker 1:Okay, oh, that's right, you have the dishes gift.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that tastes better.
Speaker 1:So where to buy you dinner? What would you have? What would you prepare at home? Nothing, simple.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:How about coffee? I?
Speaker 2:had coffee.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I bet you drink a lot of coffee because you don't sleep.
Speaker 2:No, actually two cup of coffee is my limit.
Speaker 1:That's the limit, okay.
Speaker 2:When I join the first club it's in the morning five o'clock. This is my midday. Okay, then I get my energy back and then I can open the stay center at eight o'clock.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so do you sleep at the center.
Speaker 2:I had the bedroom there.
Speaker 1:You got your names on it.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, you'd have to if you cover.
Speaker 2:No, I as a USC. They do an experiment like a trailer. They view it like a trailer. Long enough for my body. Oh, really Like a box.
Speaker 1:You have your own box.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then I can say, or I will say you like a coffin?
Speaker 1:She sleeps in the box at the homeless shelter.
Speaker 2:Have my name on it, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good, I like it. So what do you like about Humboldt County?
Speaker 2:The people really you need. Either they agree with you or not agree with you, but always there. I you know I haven't seen and I sometimes say bad things about the emotional, but over all the sea the people really kind, very kind to me, and then everybody really kind and concerned.
Speaker 1:There's a connection.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they are really good to me and not, you know, sometimes they say bad things but they need more education. But right now we are really good to Humboldt County. It's a really beautiful. I love staying here. I was at the Bay Area from Palo Alto all the way to Carmel. I said I want to go by the Humboldt.
Speaker 1:County. Ah, because that's a beautiful place too. Carmel is beautiful. It's different, oh, it's a very different, yeah, no, totally different. So I want to talk about your legacy, what we're going to say after you you're gone. What would we, what would you want them to say at your funeral?
Speaker 2:You die, you die. I don't hear anything anymore.
Speaker 1:I always ask everybody, what does it say on the, on the gravestone, on the tube stone about Betty?
Speaker 2:I don't think I'm going to die and then my mother leave for 104. I still have a way to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so did you're in deep denial. That's great.
Speaker 2:I don't know, Just just another person.
Speaker 1:Okay, Just another person. Yeah, I like that's a good answer. What do you think, Nick? I like that. So question. I have two questions and then we're going to. We're going to close.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And they're the hardest questions.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Who? So Joni's father, Tom down in the LA. He's a great guy. He had two questions for people who are you and what do you want? So let's start with the first question Betty who are? You.
Speaker 2:I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and, most important, I'm a friend with them. Let's fortune people.
Speaker 1:Good, I love it. And and, betty, what? What do you want? What do you want from life? What do you? What are you here for?
Speaker 2:I can't. Everything I need, I don't need anymore.
Speaker 1:What do you want to accomplish? Maybe say it. I'll say it differently.
Speaker 2:I think you live in a learning, but I I am the person is a calm along. If something come along I need to do, I do it. But right now I I'm not the organizer, I'm not the planner, but something needed done, I will.
Speaker 1:I like that. So you'll get down and do it. The dishes, the go. We have a lot of connections and humbled them to go get furniture or a place.
Speaker 2:The people donated.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they donated a dresser and yesterday I picked up the queen size bed for the people moving in today. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I have volunteer. I have volunteer. Help me to pick up the wash and dry on Saturday for the family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great, so you get them all set up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did this total strange to me, I don't know them. And then my car was died out my truck and somebody saw it and a couple of days later he bought the one year membership for 2.8.
Speaker 1:Oh, very nice. So you got the towing and everything.
Speaker 2:And I said I hope not going to happen again. But this is nothing long. Got the car a year.
Speaker 1:Very nice. Yeah, they have the roadside assistance.
Speaker 2:That's cool that kind of people affect me a lot, get me a lot of strength, inspire me a lot and I keep going when I'm doing yeah.
Speaker 1:There you go. There's a source of strength, yeah, when people hold you up. So the you didn't know this couple, you just were helping them. You knew that they were getting on their feet, I love it. So they were strangers and now they're not. Yeah, yeah, but they know you now.
Speaker 2:But they know I'm mean, I'm not the nice person. Betty can kick butt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell me about that. What happens when that happens?
Speaker 2:Oh, I tell, I tell the straightforward what happened, what they do long, what they need to do. I'm not a neighbor to anybody.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm not. And then so like somebody tell me they saw somebody handpanda in there and say need money. Say go ask Betty. No, betty's a very mean, he wouldn't help me, that kind of stuff yeah.
Speaker 1:That's good. So that's part of who you are. You're the mean Betty.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah Well, firm Firm. I had to tell them the truth.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:If I enable them and baby them, they go nowhere.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But most of them, like a two generation or three generation, be homeless.
Speaker 4:Oh boy.
Speaker 2:They don't want to go to work. I say what the hell do you think it? You harness. You're much, much younger than me. I feed you and you don't do nothing.
Speaker 4:Yeah, what's that?
Speaker 2:That's fair. That's not fair right.
Speaker 1:That's accountability.
Speaker 2:And they say what I can do. So I say let's do the hard labor. I take them to the place at the Samora, the footerized place, hard labor.
Speaker 1:Perfect, yeah, yeah, why not?
Speaker 2:Like now they work in and they get. They feel good about when they get paid.
Speaker 4:Oh boy yeah.
Speaker 2:And they open a check in account or saving account in the bank and then he's a buddy. This time I don't have to sit outside begging for money. I come in here, open the sub-bent account, you know.
Speaker 4:Uh-huh good.
Speaker 2:They build their ability, they can fund themselves self-esteem too.
Speaker 1:I think there's holiness in work. There's a, there's a. Maybe holiness isn't the word I'm looking for it's, there's a. There's something cool and righteous and gracious and holy and beautiful about work and responsibility. I did it. I provided for myself and my own, and that's pretty darn cool.
Speaker 2:But the guide, I do that at them right now. He opened a shop at the method green shop and then for the two-yard work, stuff like that, oh wow. But they don't know, they need somebody to guide them.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:They say I had only distant. You don't have a baby there. When they say I'm hurt, I'm tired, I say so, do so what. I'm tired too. What am I gonna do?
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 2:Can I stop? Not metathena for you.
Speaker 1:Right, right. So when you get somebody, you encounter somebody, they go. No, thank you, I don't want to work. What is? What does that do?
Speaker 2:to you? No, they say, why do I need to work?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and let's say they refuse Cause people do.
Speaker 2:I say well, you have a child.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, when your time you're ready, you come to talk to me.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna talk to you.
Speaker 2:So normally they check the temper. Tantrums scare More like a scare of fear To hold a job. That's what happened. When they say yes, they do it and then they don't have that embarrassment. That's what happened. It's not like they're lazy, not gonna work, it's just worry about the fail. I tell them you don't fail down and you don't learn. That's right, you fail down and get up.
Speaker 1:Yep Fail forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 1:I have a 19 year old. He's on day three of his new job and I think he feels really good about life right now. He's excited. So tell us more. Tell me about the book real quick. Can you hold it up? So hold it up right over here, to this camera over here.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's you. Oh, look at, you got a book, yeah.
Speaker 1:Great bird sings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there's a story about my life when I was in China. Oh, okay. And then you can see how much suffer, or but I had my strength. I look at bed at that time. It's really the best time in my life and that's a young age. Built a passion in my heart, Lot to do right now what I'm doing, and then helping homeless people, not because a bad is a good person, also help bad healing.
Speaker 1:Yourself, you get the blessing yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah, that's the secret right there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I tell everybody, Don't thank your baddie. I said you guys got a thing about how much the baddie benefit to you.
Speaker 4:You get the benefit.
Speaker 2:So the book is everything at donated to the Foundation. The donation the writer and me both. I find good time to tell. And then this is really much like God's story, because I see how much it change and I see how I can do that for last 43 years I never been to school one day in my life. I am very impatient. I am not the organization at all.
Speaker 1:You too.
Speaker 2:And then I just say, do it, you do it, not like a patiently baby them, yeah. And then so that's what happens.
Speaker 1:So firm, so is that book on Amazon.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:So you can buy this on Amazon? Yes, we can buy it at the. I bet at the Beniquan Center. Yes, and you can buy it on the website. I bet yes. So you keep saying yes, yes, you can find it everywhere.
Speaker 2:And then, like I say, because what do you want me to do? And then hopefully, this fence sell and then get money, can build up the, the fundings are much better, it's much stronger, and then it's a good program and I want to keep them going. Amen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good, so appreciate you being here One more time for everybody. So if I, if I see this or hear this, I go hey, I want to hit that lady, I want to hit her up with some money so we could go online. Betiquan-chincom yeah, there's a dot com, there's a site, so we can.
Speaker 2:You can go to Google, you can find me anywhere Google betiquan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's two ends.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And that is, we could call, we could call the center, we could come by.
Speaker 2:I really, I really want to people see it because of when they donate money to me or anything.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Even furniture, anything. I want to see how our system works to do.
Speaker 1:How we'll rent it, you know, oh, yeah, yeah. So also do you do PayPal and Venmo and all that?
Speaker 2:We do PayPal, yes.
Speaker 1:PayPal works Okay, yes, good, so the website, and then Facebook.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Facebook.
Speaker 1:How about Instagram?
Speaker 2:I'm not that. Yeah, I don't know. Probably Facebook, I don't do very much Any donation. We hire somebody, mary. She walked two hours a day. She take it money donation. I don't like touching money.
Speaker 1:So she's, she's, it's separate deal.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you're a nonprofit, of course. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:So one story about Betty Kwan Chin. Why?
Speaker 1:is it Kwan?
Speaker 2:Chin here, so I always Betty Chin. And then when I met Obama, and then Obama said, betty, you should honor your family. You know, suffer so much during the cultural operation. So I changed my name Betty Kwan Chin.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I listened to the president. I said I listened to you. You're a president.
Speaker 1:Ah, Mr President, I will obey that part.
Speaker 2:Yeah, life is good, life is good.
Speaker 1:Life is good. Hey, thank you for being here. Welcome. Bless you and we want to help again. Betty Kwan Chin, Google donate, give, come tour, donate stuff. I guess you could do stuff, right, yeah, Can I donate my Jaguar, my car? Yeah, you probably do it all right yeah. Real estate, estate trust, all that stuff. You probably have somebody that could help with that.
Speaker 2:We had the poor guy. He goes to our board.
Speaker 1:Member he helped me out, yeah.
Speaker 2:And the car we want to keep. It get to our client, get to go to work.
Speaker 1:Get a car that'll run and go to work. Go to work, yeah, very good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what we do when we take the car. That's the only reason yeah, yeah, perfect.
Speaker 1:Hey, thank you for being here Appreciate you, you're welcome.
Speaker 2:Bless you, this is fun. Thank you, bye-bye. Thank you.