Betty Kwan Chinn

Betty Kwan Chinn
關惠群
Betty Kwan Chinn[1]
SpouseLeung Chinn
ChildrenTwo sons
Websitewww.bettychinn.org

Betty Kwan Chinn (關惠群) is a philanthropist who lives in Eureka, California. She has helped the homeless—including the mentally ill, disabled veterans, runaways, and drug abusers—since the 1980s. She won the 2008 Minerva Award.[2] She used the $25,000 grant as seed money and worked with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul to establish the homeless a bathroom and kitchen. U.S. President Barack Obama awarded her and 12 others the Presidential Citizens Medal on August 4, 2010, at the White House.[3][4]

The Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center opened November 16, 2013 offering a variety of services for the poor and homeless.[5]

In 2020, the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation stopped receiving donation items due to the coronavirus pandemic. The foundation offered 100 free packed meals on weekdays at its Eureka-based center.[6]

In 2023, Kwan Chinn was named by Carnegie Corporation of New York as an honoree of the Great Immigrants Awards.[7]

  1. ^ 2010 Winners U.S. White House Citizens Medal
  2. ^ "Why WE Honor Her". The Women's Conference. 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-03-30.
  3. ^ David Jackson (2010-08-04). "Obama honors those who 'find a wrong and right it'". USA Today.
  4. ^ Thadeus Greenson (2010-08-05). "Eureka's Betty Chinn receives Presidential Citizens Medal". Eureka Times-Standard. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
  5. ^ Greenson, Thadeus (17 November 2013). "Betty's passion: Local philanthropist's improbable journey takes leap forward". Eureka Times-Standard. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  6. ^ Wear, Kimberly. "Getting Help and Helping the Helpers". North Coast Journal. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  7. ^ "Pedro Pascal and World Bank's Ajay Banga among those named to Carnegie's 2023 Great Immigrants list". AP News. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2024-06-17.