We hope you enjoyed your July 4 holiday weekend.
I recently came across a YouTube video from 2018 that puts the meaning of “United” back in the United States of America!
While a lot of the messages we hear from newspapers, TV programs, and social media platforms can be divisive—whether intentionally or not—this beautiful story highlights the power of what can happen when people, people of all races, creeds and genders come together to help a family in need.
John and Stella Chan are Cambodian refugees who came to the United States. In 1990, they opened up Donut City, in Seal Beach, California, and became an integral part of the fabric of the community. So when Stella experienced a brain aneurysm, the community came together in a big way to support the Chan family. They offered to set up a GoFundMe page or just outright give him money to support the family.
But John would have none of that! He didn’t want any hand out and he wouldn’t accept any donations. So the community came up with a different strategy. They decided that each day they would buyout his inventory of donuts so that John could go home and take care of Stella.
The first customers would start arriving at 4:30 AM (what does the world look like at this time of the morning?) and on most days, the inventory would be gone by 7 AM. After that, he would close up shop and go home so that he could do nurse his wife Stella back to health.
I was inspired by how the people in Seal Beach responded when Stella had her brain aneurysm. They didn’t see John and Stella as Cambodian Americans; they saw them as valued individuals who they could help and support.
With their outpouring of affection, they showed what real kindness and humanity looks like. Perhaps that is why in Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that “two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.”
