Episode 35 · Betty Chinn · March 3, 2024
Betty Chinn talks about the path that led her from a hard childhood in China to a life of service in Humboldt County. She tells how a small act of helping one hungry family grew into decades of work feeding people, supporting veterans, and keeping shelter doors open. It’s a plainspoken conversation about kindness, survival, and the daily labor behind care.
Watch the conversation
What this episode covers
- Betty Chinn’s early years in China and her arrival in the United States.
- The moment she decided to start helping people who were hungry and unhoused.
- How one family in a car led to years of feeding more people across Humboldt.
- Her long focus on veterans, including older and more recent generations.
- Her work with the Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation and the day-to-day pace of running it.
- The recognition she received, and the way she kept returning to the work.
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Transcript
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Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome to the 100% Humboldt Podcast with my new best friend, Betty Chinn.
Betty Chinn: Nice to meet you. Nice-
Scott Hammond: Nice to have you. Yeah. This is, the, the whole thing is all about people making a difference in Humboldt County.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: There's my map. I always point to it.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: And I think you're right at the top of the list. So, uh, tell us, tell us the Betty Chinn
Scott Hammond: story.
Betty Chinn: Uh, Betty Chinn story. Okay. Betty Chinn is crazy.
Scott Hammond: Ah, good.
Scott Hammond: Who isn't?
Betty Chinn: Um, when I come to this country-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … uh, more than 50, half century ago, I first time in my life I see people smiling.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: And then after that, everywhere I go, the people did not judge me. And, uh, no matter go- I go to supermarket, on the street, the people always look at me and smile.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then I say, "You know, how I could pay back to these people
Betty Chinn: so kindness-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … in the United State?" And then, um, I made myself own,
Betty Chinn: um, promise.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Beside I got my freedom in this country, the kindness from these, uh, the people from this country-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … I wanna do something for them. But, um, I don't know what to do. I cannot read. I cannot write, and total stranger in here, and I was still male-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … in that time.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So fi-
Scott Hammond: How, how old were you?
Betty Chinn: When I came here, probably around 10, 11 years old.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then later, and after I marry, I had my kid, and then first time I meet a girl, um, at my son's classmate and she say she's hungry. She had no food to eat.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: And I, I asked, uh, my son, I had my son ask her why, and then he say because they live in a car-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … outside a Montgomery Ward parking lot, like-
Scott Hammond: Right
Betty Chinn: … the parking.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So that's how I start to feed the people, uh, first family of the four, and then over the years, right now it's 43 years now-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … I helped more and more people. And then after their family, the children, I, my priority is for the veteran.
Scott Hammond: Oh, good.
Betty Chinn: Because they gave their life for my freedom.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So over the year, got more and more and more, and I get myself more and more
Betty Chinn: travel.
Scott Hammond: Nice. So kids, then veterans.
Scott Hammond: Good.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I love it. Yeah. No, we, uh, we're Humboldt Heroes. We do veteran recognition once a month at my office. Yeah, so I was reading, so you, you came from China.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: And you were there during Mao and, and-
Betty Chinn: Uh
Scott Hammond: … that whole thing, and there was, that was really terrible, right?
Betty Chinn: I was, uh, uh, that time was a culture liberation by Mao.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: And then I'm, I was the youngest wife swimming across the bay from China to Hong Kong.
Scott Hammond: Whoa. How far is that?
Betty Chinn: Two mile.
Scott Hammond: Two miles.
Betty Chinn: Be- between the ocean and the bay.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: And then across two mile. That's why.
Scott Hammond: You swim that?
Betty Chinn: Without, without any skill for swimming.
Betty Chinn: Skill.
Scott Hammond: Wow. And so then you came to the States. Where did you come f- Did you come to Eureka first?
Betty Chinn: No, and then I, they found me on the shore, and then, um, the American consul found out I'm a daughter of the
Betty Chinn: US citizen.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: So I had no family. My family still in China. My mom still in China-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … in jail. And then they help me locate my older and second oldest sister in the United State.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then they bring me to United State with my sister, but I never met my sister until I met them in the San Francisco airport.
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow. How long ago was that?
Betty Chinn: More than a half century ago.
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. When you said Montgomery Ward's-
Betty Chinn: Long time ago
Scott Hammond: … I go back. That's a long time ago.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: 43 years ago.
Betty Chinn: Um, 50-some years ago.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So for you kids out there, Target is here in Eureka. It used to be a store called Montgomery Ward's-
Betty Chinn: Yes
Scott Hammond: … which was like Sears. Oh, wait. You don't know what that is either.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Um, try J.C. Penney's. Nope, you don't know what that is either. Okay. Anyway, so you've, you found and you fed this family for the first
Scott Hammond: time.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So that's you reaching out to-
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm. And then in that area behind there, they had lot of tree in there. Some veteran come out, say, they did not identify they are veteran, just say, "I'm hungry.
Betty Chinn: Can you-
Scott Hammond: Huh
Betty Chinn: … buy me some food too then?" That's how I start from that area.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: And then later, I found out a lot, a lot of veteran in other side of bridge. Then I go other bridge. Then over the area.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah. So back in that day, it was probably some fairly recent Vietnam veterans, right?
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: You know, within 10 years probably.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: Uh, but I do have some like, uh, Korean War too.
Scott Hammond: Really?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Okay. That were still homeless even though-
Betty Chinn: Yeah, still homeless. And then later we had, um, the, the Arab war in, um, desert.
Scott Hammond: Right. Desert Storm.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.
Betty Chinn: A lot of this younger, it is younger, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So, so your ministry started from small-
Betty Chinn: One family, four, four
Scott Hammond: … one family. Wow. Wow, that's great. I love it. So, uh, how, um, what's your role today? What's your job title? What's your… I, I realize you probably do everything between Costco and scrub the toilets like every manager, right? But what, what's your official d-
Betty Chinn: I'm a volunt-
Scott Hammond: … duty?
Betty Chinn: I'm volunteer director-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … for our, uh, Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: And then I work 22-hour day.
Scott Hammond: Wow. 22 hours a day?
Scott Hammond: Where did… So you're on, you're on, you're on call for 22 hour?
Betty Chinn: Uh, no. I, um, I, uh, we had, um, we had hard find a
Betty Chinn: employee, and then when-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … they don't come to work, you have to be there.
Scott Hammond: Oh, right.
Betty Chinn: I start from midnight-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and then I go home probably 12:30-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and then take a shower and then come back. And then watch, uh, family shelter, and the rest beds, and the women's shelter.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then by, uh, 4:00, cooking.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then go out to pass out the people for breakfast.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then come back and take the kid to school.And then, um, come back, open at 8:00 until 4:00.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: So yeah.
Scott Hammond: So on two hours of sleep?
Betty Chinn: Probably. I lucky I get 45 minutes sleep.
Scott Hammond: Really? Every day?
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: I still haven't got the COVID yet.
Scott Hammond: You haven't got COVID. Good. Good. May you not get COVID. No, it's no fun.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Not fun.
Betty Chinn: That was a tough, but it's much better. I, uh, COVID is very horrible, but I see lot of
Betty Chinn: unity.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Lot of people in there. They're so silent and very close. And then even we are alone, but we still can serving the
Betty Chinn: people.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So do you, you get a day off? So you are th- you are the director and the number-one volunteer.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: How about a vacation? Do, can we interest you in a vacation? Now you went back and got recognized by Obama, right?
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So that was it, some time off.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, but just-
Scott Hammond: Yeah? But you had to come right back probably.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And, uh, and funny thing is I was invited to go to New Year for the lunch. I get in there and had the lunch, and come and went right away. So like a waste of time, waste of money.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Betty Chinn: And, uh, and then in some way they say, "That's good for you. You had to do it." Just like Obama. And I, when he s- he tell me, "Get me a medal." And I say, "You know what? I need a medal for it."
Scott Hammond: Right.
Betty Chinn: Put the soup box, it going under your bed.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Right. Right.
Betty Chinn: And then he-
Scott Hammond: Why don't you write a check-
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then-
Scott Hammond: … Barack Obama
Betty Chinn: … and then he said, "Best to do really help you to your, you find your ways for the p- for your client." Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So someone nominated you and th- you-
Betty Chinn: Actually, my neighbor wrote a letter to him.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Betty Chinn: And then he called me. I hand him, I hang up the phone, and then, uh, I was very busy feeding people at the Surrey Inn. And then he call, I say, "I'm, I'm sorry, I'm very busy right now." And then lot of people on the line. And then he call my husband at my house and say, "Tell Betty this really a president."
Scott Hammond: It really is.
Scott Hammond: Sorry.
Betty Chinn: So I was-
Scott Hammond: Sorry, Barack. I'm really busy feeding people and-
Betty Chinn: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … you can call me back later. But that's good. I love it.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And, and so we, I talked to him like-
Scott Hammond: But he called back.
Betty Chinn: He called back and he tell me why he called me. My husband asked him, "Can you tell me why?" He said, "No, I have talked to
Betty Chinn: Betty."
Scott Hammond: Huh.
Betty Chinn: And then my husband says, "Really a president," you know.
Scott Hammond: So you weren't convinced it was really him the first time?
Betty Chinn: Um, you know what? I meet a lot of people.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Betty Chinn: But I never look at anybody above anybody. We all human being.
Scott Hammond: Yep. Yep, yep.
Betty Chinn: That's what I look at it.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So when I went to White House, he gave me medal.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And he know I had a back problem, so we walked back and forth at the East, um, White House. That ar- area had a red
Betty Chinn: carpet.
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.
Betty Chinn: And they always had conference there. So he asked me, he said, "Betty, how you like it?" You know, White House is-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … is, is nice.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I, and then they had reception there.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: But I don't like a butler keep follow me.
Scott Hammond: Ah. 'Cause you're usually cooking.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And they had a towel and they say, "You want a water? You want to eat? You…" And I, that's not my stuff.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then, um, next thing is he asked me, "How you feel in the White House in, um, red carpet-"
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … "walk with the president?" I turned around, I said, "Mr. President, with all my respect, you, you just like anybody I met every single day."
Scott Hammond: Perfect. What did he say?
Betty Chinn: I, and then he turned around, gave me a hug.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Betty Chinn: And he said, "That's, that's what he- I wanna hear, Betty." And then, um-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … because very ha- highly the people will say something like
Betty Chinn: that-
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh
Betty Chinn: … because I'm a president, but-
Scott Hammond: Right
Betty Chinn: … so anyway.
Scott Hammond: He turned around, you got a hug.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Oh, nice.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Is he a nice man?
Betty Chinn: Good. I must say he's a good guy. I mean, so really do. And then, um, when, when people, uh, f- he choose the peoples not like, uh, you are rich or famous or anything.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Average people there.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: That's what's good.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. So you're recognized amongst other people?
Betty Chinn: Uh, and a couple pe- few more people, yes.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Wonderful.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Good for you.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, I remember reading that.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So I remember meeting you at the Crissio, uh, the Catholic, uh, overnight thing.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That was like many year, maybe 10-
Betty Chinn: Many, many years ago
Scott Hammond: … maybe 10, 15 years ago.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, and I was really impressed 'cause I, you hear about somebody and then you meet them and you go, "Oh. Oh yeah, I met her. She's average pers-
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I, I-
Scott Hammond: … good person
Betty Chinn: … I just, like I say-
Scott Hammond: Like you said
Betty Chinn: … yeah. Just my life.
Scott Hammond: Just be-
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, I don't know.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I live here.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. So, uh, tell me some stories, uh, maybe of your
Scott Hammond: adventure, uh, uh, of the Betty Kwan Center. So let, let's talk about that. How did that grow? What's the arc of that story in, in terms of how s-
Betty Chinn: Okay
Scott Hammond: … how that went? And I, I understand you're building a shelter-
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm
Scott Hammond: … on the bay too, right?
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: Can we, can we do that story, that arc?
Betty Chinn: Yeah, sure. So, uh, before, um, I, I wanna clear up something in here since I'm on, on here.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, when I feed the people more and more and more and more, so first in a area on, uh, uh, Doherty Center, the area under the
Betty Chinn: bridge.
Scott Hammond: Adornie?
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then, um, irritate a lot of people.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then-
Scott Hammond: What did you have, like a truck?
Betty Chinn: Uh, um, yes, a food truck.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: But, um, no, in that time I did not ha- I had minivan.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then, uh, the cop go after me-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Betty Chinn: … and, and tell me I'm not allowed to go to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Street from then on.
Scott Hammond: Eureka Police said no?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Betty Chinn: Because I g- uh, bring a lot of homeless, and also when people in a community say I am create, um, homeless environment for Eureka.
Scott Hammond: Right.
Betty Chinn: But again, I am not above the law. In that time, I did not have the food license.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: I don't know how to truck.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And the cop ha- have the right what they do. And then, um, so I understand that. And then, uh, later, um, somebody hear about the story l- somewhere from… go to Coda somewhere-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and build a truck and ship it to me and call Mark, the de- uh, Mark Deere, the, um, the dealership from, uh-
Scott Hammond: Yes
Betty Chinn: … Chevrolet.
Scott Hammond: The Chevrolet, yeah.
Betty Chinn: And they call me up-
Scott Hammond: Northwood Chevy. Hey, Mark
Betty Chinn: … yeah. You had a truck here.
Scott Hammond: They shipped you a truck?
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then I have food truck, and then-
Scott Hammond: Is that the, is that the green one that has the-
Betty Chinn: The blue one, yeah
Scott Hammond: … blue, blue. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: It has the-
Betty Chinn: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … it has the cooler?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And we had a coffee maker, co- uh, the cooler, and a
Betty Chinn: oven.
Scott Hammond: Wow, all in a little truck.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then we used that, and then I got a license for the food management license-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … so I'm legal. And then, um, from that happen, it's, I don't mind feed them-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … but the people had a attitude.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Betty Chinn: They feel like
Betty Chinn: I owe them.
Scott Hammond: The homeless.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I owe them. And then, um, I- they don't understand how much labor and money to make the food for them.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So-
Scott Hammond: And then bring it to them.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Or I ask them, "Put up the garbage. You're done."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "Put the garbage in the garbage bin. I can dump it." Make it better for the community, you know?
Scott Hammond: Do they do it?
Betty Chinn: They don't do it.
Scott Hammond: Huh.
Betty Chinn: They don't do it. And then I say, "You know what? You guys so young."
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: "I'm much, much older than you."
Betty Chinn: "So let's go to work."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So-
Scott Hammond: Let's- Hey, guys
Betty Chinn: … I go, "Yeah, let's go to work." And then we have them find job to work.
Scott Hammond: Huh.
Betty Chinn: And then feed them is not solve the problem. Yes, we feed anybody hungry.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: When you're hungry, feed you is good. But when you waste the food, the entitlement.
Scott Hammond: Entitlement.
Betty Chinn: I don't wanna be that way.
Scott Hammond: So there was entitled people and rude throwing the trash.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Only one out of 100. Uh, one out of, uh, 100, but the 99 is good. The one bad apple-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … but I fed other people.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So and then, um, that time I said, "Let's open a day
Betty Chinn: center."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then they came.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then, uh, we helped them find job. So after they find a job, and then I feel like, um, I see a lot of people die on out there.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: So we open a respite.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then when they sick-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … or they do chemo, they can come to me in there. So upstairs gonna be, um, the family shelter. We the only one take the father and mother and the children.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: So after that, the Palmdale Marsh is eviction. They had nowhere to go.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Some business, good businessman, and donate a shipping container
Betty Chinn: to me.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So we take 40 people at a time.
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.
Betty Chinn: I let them come with, uh, come in with the dog, but no drug usage. You can withdraw the drug-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … but cannot bring them in.
Betty Chinn: I-
Scott Hammond: You said dogs are okay?
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: But no drugs.
Betty Chinn: No drug-
Scott Hammond: Good
Betty Chinn: … uh, and no alcoholic in, when you're in there.
Scott Hammond: Where's this at now?
Betty Chinn: Uh, first at the Mercer Frazier Place, and then six months we moved to the West Washington.
Scott Hammond: Okay, yeah.
Betty Chinn: Right now, uh, we take the people out the jail-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and mental health-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and drug user, but we help them get the program and get in the
Betty Chinn: programming.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: If they wanna go ha- a very serious user-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … we send them out the area to the rehab. I have four rehab give to my client for free.
Scott Hammond: Wow. So rehabs.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, they can go, and here only one in the Logerie.
Scott Hammond: Right. We lack.
Betty Chinn: So, so they had to go to work.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then, uh, student from Humboldt, student from CR, they come in-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and elderly s- uh, mental ill-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … and discharged from San Bernard come in.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So they can stay there more than 90 days.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: But what are you gonna do after 90 days? They have m- if somebody working, is find them a job. If not, what they gonna do?
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So we start a new project on, uh, on, uh, Bay
Betty Chinn: Fun. Uh-
Scott Hammond: Right, right.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Uh, um, in, in, uh, Hill Figure area. So what we, we had 31 unit.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: So what, what it do, each unit we maybe charge them $200
Betty Chinn: a month.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: If they don't have money-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … we can put up the people in. We pay the rent. The c- the community, people donate the money, pay the rent.
Scott Hammond: So it's going down.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. N- it's on the way. Not quite done yet.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: So the idea is they earn some, uh, rental
Betty Chinn: credit.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: If they don't have the credit to the rental, nobody will rent a house to them.
Scott Hammond: Right. Nobody.
Betty Chinn: So that means w- we follow the c- a circle from the beginning, from the street and all the way to the container, the family shelter-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … or, and then go in there, and then in, uh, this place at, uh, Hill Figure place, and then we follow circle. But during the COVID, um, my phone open
Betty Chinn: 24/7.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: Anybody can call me anytime.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I answer the phone. I always an- uh, l- answer the, return a phone call to anybody.
Scott Hammond: Was it busier during COVID?
Betty Chinn: Uh, and I found lot of human trafficking.
Scott Hammond: Hmm. Yeah?
Betty Chinn: Somebody bring them back to Humboldt County and dump them on the highway, uh, uh, 101. One night, I go all the way to 199-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … past Crescent City, and the people call. We found somebody in there, 299, and then, um, all the way outside of, um, Garberville. But one thing really for me, I like now, I learn something,
Betty Chinn: Highway 36.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: That is just very hard for me to go. I never been Highway 36.
Scott Hammond: It's really wavy.
Betty Chinn: And, and then in the middle of the night-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Betty Chinn: … normally I go out at 11:30 or 12-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Betty Chinn: … and the people call me. I p- uh, come back maybe sometimes at morning time.
Scott Hammond: So quick hard stop. So you, you deal with human trafficking. Somebody calls and they say, "I have somebody out on Highway 36 in the woods."
Betty Chinn: A injury.
Scott Hammond: An injur- injury. Okay.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: 1:00 in the morning, whatever, and you get in the truck and go get them.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Nice. And then bring them back to the shelter.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then, uh, my neighbor had a place for rent, and then, um, so I think we need something for the woman. Also, a lot of women get abused-
Scott Hammond: Sure
Betty Chinn: … because the first time they together in the same room-
Scott Hammond: Ah
Betty Chinn: … the man lose their temper, also beat them up
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I'm, I'm s- I talk about not bladder-
Scott Hammond: At the she- at the shelter?
Betty Chinn: No, on a, at home.
Scott Hammond: At home.
Betty Chinn: So they done that, and then they are not bladder. It, they injure physical injury.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Betty Chinn: Like a kidney, the lung, all kind of injury.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So d- is it… So th- my head always, always goes to, is this, is
Scott Hammond: this part of Humboldt County or the, oops, the marijuana industry?
Scott Hammond: Is it-
Betty Chinn: I don't know
Scott Hammond: … just crazy hillbilly people?
Betty Chinn: I had no idea. I j- normally when they escape, and then they stop the car, borrow the people's phone call and call me.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: That kind of stuff. So at that time, I need open up the woman shelter.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: In the one time, we had six womens, six different foreign language.
Scott Hammond: Whoa. So these are people from out of the country. Definite e- evidence of trafficking, right?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Do you know Tina, uh, Katrina Sims? She's, she's a, uh, expert on trafficking.
Scott Hammond: She lives-
Betty Chinn: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … she's our neighbor in McKinleyville. She's, she was on the show, too.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. She's-
Scott Hammond: Said it's a real problem
Betty Chinn: … so, uh, what I re- really lucky, and then, um, I don't know how to communication with them un- unless a Google
Betty Chinn: translation.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So I called the embassy-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Betty Chinn: … in San Francisco. I tell them who am I, what am I doing. I leave my phone number. I tell them, "I, you can go to Google, check me out, see what am I doing. I'm not a phony anything."
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Betty Chinn: "If you want, you can call me back, or I will call you back tomorrow."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then I get them some time to do some research. Normally, they will call me back, and then they work with me.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Um, uh, nobody wanna go home except one wanna go back to country. Rest wanna stay.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, they get them a political asylum.
Scott Hammond: An asylum, yeah. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, and then they can stay in here.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: But right now, they all in their own house. They move out-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and then, um-
Scott Hammond: Is this part of the, the, the center on 7th Street?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: That's a woman shelter, yeah.
Scott Hammond: It's all women. Okay. So children, women, and
Scott Hammond: veterans. Good. Good, good, good. So tell us your, one of your favorite stories about redemption and somebody that ha- came full circle from, from darkness and made it, made it back out and was re- wa- Do they call it rehomed?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Rehomed and, and a job and, and family and-
Betty Chinn: So, so I had, uh, somebody come to m- me, and I met, and they tell them, the couple come to talk about it, talk about it.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then they have very, very ba- bad, uh, background, you know?
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then you can see all racist remark, everything in your
Betty Chinn: body.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: So, and then I take them in,
Betty Chinn: and then they had to learn to be detach the homelessness lifestyle.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, they keep saying, "I wanna volunteer." I said, "No, I want you focus your life, not the volunteer."
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Betty Chinn: "D- Right now is for your time." So they done, and then we helped them find jobs.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then this happened like a year, uh, two years ago. And then, uh, she get a job.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And, and he had a tough time to find a job because-
Scott Hammond: So this is a couple.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So, and then she get a job, and then at first I hired them the first to the night staff. That way, at least they had some sort of income.
Scott Hammond: Sure. Yeah, yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then they can use for personal, but he's really had a tough time to find
Betty Chinn: a job.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I only let them go to help people clean up the yard, something like that.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. So later, they both, um, he got… She get a job offer, the, um, the, a nonprofit and a driver.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, he w- he get a job with Dengue for build a cabinet.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: So they both got a job, and then they move out the village, and they live in a Airbnb.
Scott Hammond: Very nice.
Betty Chinn: And, and then after that, and a l- l- the end, uh, let's say September, they moved in a permanent housing.
Scott Hammond: Very nice.
Betty Chinn: They both had income.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then they say they, um, they rent the place is rent to buy, something like that.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: So they still had a job, and it's very hard.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: You know what happened? The homeless people is, they doing well, make you worry.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: In certain time, they had a self-re- uh, a sabotage cycle.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I had to watch them.
Scott Hammond: Huh.
Betty Chinn: I ha- uh, even they moved the house-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … I had to follow them next six month.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: Make sure no clothes on the living room, make your bed, the, uh, no more paper good.
Scott Hammond: So keep an eye on everybody.
Betty Chinn: Uh, yeah. And then don't sleep in your couch.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: In the morning, make your bed before you go to work.
Scott Hammond: Make your bed.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, that kind stuff. Uh, like a reborn again.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: A- and sometimes it hard, sometimes really, really bad. Sometimes they, when they get in the house, they can do anything they want do. They go back to drug. They go back drink.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then after six months, um, unless they invite me, then I don't have to go. But th- we also had connection there.
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Relationship. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: It's a lot, lot, a lot of work. It… What I do right now, we have over 500 people to feed.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then every single person I n- I meet, we had a personal connection.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Four o'clock, I had go out. I bring them a, um, the group from, uh, Sand Dune all the way to Trinidad.
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Betty Chinn: And then, uh, I get them a donut or cookie or a muffin or something, and then with their coffee.
Scott Hammond: Cup of coffee.
Betty Chinn: And that the only time they get a signal they had to take the medication.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Betty Chinn: I cannot tell them, "Take medicine."
Scott Hammond: Right.
Betty Chinn: So, and those group of people, probably 100 and, uh, 200 people like that-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … they don't come out of town. They just hidden in there.I cannot have a volunteer either-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Betty Chinn: … because they don't trust anybody.
Scott Hammond: Nobody. They trust you?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I bet they do.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, yeah.
Scott Hammond: I like what you said. You said, "Call Betty." So, so if I have a problem-
Betty Chinn: Call me
Scott Hammond: … I can call. So, and that's such a rare… Huh, isn't that a cool Humboldt hero thing? We- Nick, Nick said, "Yeah, that's amazing." So it's the Call Betty show. Our, our concern, my concern would be who's taking care of Betty?
Scott Hammond: How can-
Betty Chinn: Betty's crazy. That's what-
Scott Hammond: How are we gonna have Betty here for another 100 years, folks? I don't know.
Betty Chinn: No, I tell you what, when the people call me, any agency call me, if I can do it, I will do it. If I cannot do it, I, I refer a different agency.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: And the agency knows me very well.
Scott Hammond: Super valuable. The network person.
Betty Chinn: Mm.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: They trust me, and I really keep my promise.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Like, uh, yesterday, we had five family moving out.
Scott Hammond: Wow. Five families moved out?
Betty Chinn: When they move out, they had nothing, so we had provide all the
Betty Chinn: furniture.
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.
Betty Chinn: Everything.
Scott Hammond: So you have connections. You just pick up the phone and-
Betty Chinn: Well, I, um, they find a house. I say, "You do your part. You looking for housing."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "I am gonna helping you to looking for housing."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then we have some volunteer full time to help them write an application for the housing.
Scott Hammond: Beautiful. Nice. So let… Hard stop. So if we want… Talking to people on everywhere in the world. If people wanna help you, help the program, help the chief volunteer so she can help other people, how do we, how do we give to the foundation? What do, what do we do? So there's obviously a website, right?
Betty Chinn: Yes, and, and you can, um, you can write a check to us. Easier for me. You get me money. I buy what I need. Like, like now, uh, last week, I had a guy, he had turned f- had a birth- birthday, on a 50 years old birthday.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: And then he said, "Betty, I don't know what to do, but I'm gonna have the birthday dancing-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Betty Chinn: … on the woman's club."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "Whatever the people pay to come in, the donation go to you." And then end up they had almost $800.
Scott Hammond: Is that right? Wow.
Betty Chinn: It get to me, and then, um, I use the money for the voucher to buy the long-term med voucher.
Scott Hammond: Very nice. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: You know what? They had a lot of time.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I've been picked up the clothes that's so heavy and dump in dumpster.
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.
Betty Chinn: They can have time. They can wash the clothes.
Scott Hammond: Sure they can. Yeah, absolutely.
Betty Chinn: They have do something for themself.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. I love that. So what I've heard about you, here's the word on the street that, that there's nothing Betty won't do for people, nothing, i- if, if I'm trying and I'm sincere and I'm broken and I'm trying to better myself, my
Scott Hammond: family. However, if that changes, you're able to change with that and go, "Hey, may- maybe it's ti- maybe it's time." That you, you will, you will, you have a holy no.
Betty Chinn: No, no.
Scott Hammond: No, no.
Betty Chinn: But I tell you what happened when they ready.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: They are ready.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I, I see, uh, every Saturday and Sunday-
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh
Betty Chinn: … really united family, and the son or daughter-
Scott Hammond: Wonderful
Betty Chinn: … on, on the street.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: The mom still leave the car, and the dad leave the car, and then really unite and have the lunch together.
Scott Hammond: Oh, nice.
Betty Chinn: And, uh, I always see a mom cry when the, when they have the lunch. They go separate, go different way.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And but when I see the father cry-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Betty Chinn: … really touch me.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: You know? And then, uh, the only fun rule to follow for the, the homeless son or daughter or anything, I tell them, "Do not fight."
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: "Just have a peaceful lunch."
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Peaceful meal.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then talk little bit. And you have no problem-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … share your problem with your family.
Scott Hammond: Right. Right.
Betty Chinn: Uh, but they just cannot handle you when you're at home.
Scott Hammond: Right. Right.
Betty Chinn: This happened to real well-known family in, uh, Humboldt
Betty Chinn: County.
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.
Betty Chinn: I tell them, I tell the parent, "You're not alone."
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: Can happen to anybody.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: But also, really I've calm my breath and I don't have to deal
Betty Chinn: with that.
Scott Hammond: Right.
Betty Chinn: And if that happened to me, I don't know how to deal with it.
Scott Hammond: You get along good with your husband?
Betty Chinn: Oh, yeah.
Scott Hammond: He's a physics professor, retired-
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Uh-huh
Scott Hammond: … at Humboldt?
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: Cal Poly Humboldt.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: When did he retire?
Betty Chinn: He retired for a while now.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then our son, they both, um, they grow up, so I really calm my breath.
Scott Hammond: Are they here?
Betty Chinn: No. Uh, one in, uh, Bay Area. He's a medical research.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And the other one, um-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Betty Chinn: … assistant dean for the University of Oregon.
Scott Hammond: Very nice. Proud mom.
Betty Chinn: You know, community didn't build them, you know, raising my kid.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: We are the parent, provided dinner and a place to sleep, and the teacher is the one-
Scott Hammond: Ah
Betty Chinn: … mold them-
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh
Betty Chinn: … help them.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I always tell my kid, always say, "Even th- this day, like now, wherever they come home, they also gotta visit the teachers."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Uh, before I forget, let's go back to the money thing real quick.
Betty Chinn: Okay.
Scott Hammond: If we wanna give money, it's Betty Kwan Chinn-
Betty Chinn: Chinn Homeless Fund, dancing
Scott Hammond: … Homeless Fund. Betty Kwan, K-W-A-N?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: C-H-I-N?
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: One N.
Betty Chinn: Two N.
Scott Hammond: Two Ns.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Like Don Chin. You know Don Chin?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: The realtor.
Betty Chinn: I, I heard about him, yeah.
Scott Hammond: He's a good guy. He's my friend.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, yeah, good guy. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: His daddy owns Chin's, uh, realtor.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, I know Ben.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, I, if-
Scott Hammond: And then you have a book. What?
Betty Chinn: No, I can get your address in here, and if-
Scott Hammond: Okay
Betty Chinn: … uh, if… I don't know.
Scott Hammond: So, so Betty Kwan Chinn, uh, is… You're on Facebook?
Betty Chinn: I own a Facebook. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Facebook, Google, there's a way to get an address.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Write a check. Call y- We could call you.
Scott Hammond: Right?
Betty Chinn: Call me anytime.
Scott Hammond: Sounds like your phone's pretty public.
Betty Chinn: But you know what? I want you to come to visit.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I don't wanna just I tell you.
Scott Hammond: No.
Betty Chinn: I want you to see what we doing.
Scott Hammond: That'd be great.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And, and I tell people, "Just tell me, uh, tell me. I will be there to meet you and show you what we doing."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And, um, like I just tell Ned about it, and then we had the group from Porsche came over-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Betty Chinn: … to do the documentary.
Scott Hammond: Porsche like the car?
Betty Chinn: Oh, Post, uh, the country
Scott Hammond: Oh, that country. Okay, yeah
Betty Chinn: Come over.
Scott Hammond: Wow. And do a documentary about you?
Betty Chinn: Yeah, from Warner Brothers. And then they come, uh, 10 people came, and they said, "I never see any soda so clean."
Scott Hammond: Wow. That's very nice.
Betty Chinn: You know what? So my Betty's job is to clean up the bes- the bathroom.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I want it clean and nice.
Scott Hammond: That's good.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, my wife say same way, clean bathroom. People are coming over-
Betty Chinn: That's important
Scott Hammond: … that bathroom better be clean, Nick.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Scott. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And, and, and, uh, and, uh, I wash dishes.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: That's the best therapy.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Wash dishes.
Scott Hammond: See, now I'm kind of uncomfortable 'cause turns out that I, I do a lot of things very nice-
Betty Chinn: So that's the different gift
Scott Hammond: … but I always forget the dishes. I, you know, I get in trouble 'cause I didn't do the dishes. The whole house is clean, and my bed's made, the kids, everything. Oh, no, the dishes. Anyway.
Betty Chinn: But that's not your gift.
Scott Hammond: It's on my… The t- "They're broken, honey. I don't know what happened." "I broke the dishes
Scott Hammond: again."
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So, uh, the, the, uh, Foot of Hilfiger-
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm
Scott Hammond: … is going to come online with the, the apart… Are, are they, are they container ships?
Betty Chinn: No, they are build a unit, 31 units.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: Each unit for one person or pre, and a community ki- uh, community kitchen and-
Scott Hammond: Okay
Betty Chinn: … so we-
Scott Hammond: Shower, everything
Betty Chinn: … a shower, every bit.
Scott Hammond: This was the old-
Betty Chinn: Even dog, a dog yard.
Scott Hammond: Oh, the-
Betty Chinn: A yard for the dog
Scott Hammond: … so is this the old, uh, uh, Humboldt Bay Fire-
Betty Chinn: Yeah, next to them
Scott Hammond: … training, training yard? Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, right next to them.
Scott Hammond: There's a tower.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, our friend Chris Kemp was the to- the tower was named after…
Scott Hammond: Hi, Chris. Uh, he was a fireman locally.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's a beautiful site.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, and, and, uh, right in the front-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … we built 10 unit, 10 unit just for the handicap.
Scott Hammond: Very nice.
Betty Chinn: They can face the bay.
Scott Hammond: And people could have a dog.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: We had dog for them play, too.
Scott Hammond: That's important therapy, too, huh?
Betty Chinn: Dog is the security guard-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … the family member, and the blanket.
Scott Hammond: Mm. Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So very key. So I wanna go back. So you… And I don't wanna be the naysayer 'cause you're pretty positive all the time. The, the homeless that you deal with, the homeless p- p- profile, the demographic, the persons, are families,
Scott Hammond: kids, moms trying to make it. And then, 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 in my alley or pee or poop or, or, um, you know, defecate or, um, I really like Zach. He sits in the back at my alley, and I love that he's very respectful, but he's back there shooting up. And so it's like there's that… I d- don't wanna do too much candor here, too, too real, but there's that homeless that I think we all think about. And, and that's not necessarily, could be some people you feed, but-
Betty Chinn: Oh, I do
Scott Hammond: … yeah. But that's, that's not the core of who you're helping. Sounds like you're helping the people that want, want a hand up, not a handout.
Betty Chinn: So the people sit in the alley and stuff like that. I get them. I go there. I see them.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So what happened to this group of people, I go out, I sit in the sidewalk-
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh
Betty Chinn: … on down there and talk to them. We don't get their advice. We don't get their suggestion.
Scott Hammond: Nope.
Betty Chinn: And we don't just listen.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So I say, "You know what? I have spot for you."
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: "Are you ready to change?"
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: "You ready to change, you can quit with me."
Scott Hammond: And some say that-
Betty Chinn: "You cannot use a drug or drinking in my place."
Scott Hammond: And some say no, right?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: They tell me honestly, say-
Scott Hammond: No, maybe no thank you
Betty Chinn: … "I'm not ready."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: "I'm not ready."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I say, "Okay, you're not ready. This is my community here."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "And I had a lot of people care for you guys but don't know what to do."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: "But you guys met the image for the people doesn't know how to deal with that."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: "Because your needle everywhere, garbage anywhere, pee everywhere."
Scott Hammond: Sure. Yeah, yeah.
Betty Chinn: And I said- … "Can you do better? If you need a garbage bin, I can get to you."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Uh, but that's, that's a mental health and drug problem.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then I had somebody come to my, my village. Less than one week, we do room check when they stay with me, and room check, and then, uh, make sure they made the bed, you know-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … before they had the next step. And one day the step say, "You know what? We found a guy open the door, very stink, smell. I don't… Do you wanna come and look at it?"
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: I said, "Don't do anything. Let me come. I do it." I open the door. Seven pile poop right in the front door.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Scott Hammond: Too bad.
Betty Chinn: And, and then I had to, I had clean them up. In the corner they had whole bunch of clothes there with the
Betty Chinn: pee.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: But the whole thing needed to be done. And then he said, "Sorry, Miss Betty. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: "Can I help anything?" And he start to cry. I said, "You know what we'll do? Why don't you, you hold up the garbage bag?"
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "Let me start over 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.
Scott Hammond: Oh, that's good. Yeah. So he had mental illness.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I really believe anything happen, either whatever you're
Betty Chinn: in-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … your psychological problem-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … but deep inside they understand what's good, what's bad.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Just give them a time.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then he'd keep asking me, say, "You'll kick me out, and then I had nowhere to go." I said, "I'm not gonna kick you out."
Scott Hammond: Good for you.
Betty Chinn: 72 years old.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. But he pulled it together. Good. Good. So, you know, you've, you've been probably into some dark alleys and back roads of Humboldt. Ever, ever been assaulted? Ever, ever felt like you were in danger?
Scott Hammond: Never. That's remarkable. 'Cause perception would be, "Hey, there's Betty down in Old Town at midnight helping somebody with her amazing heart." And then Noth- nothing.
Scott Hammond: So-
Betty Chinn: One-
Scott Hammond: Always safe?
Betty Chinn: I tell one time I took the coffee and the donut to the group, and, uh, and the other side of center area, and I had a spinal injury-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Betty Chinn: … on my back, and I fell.
Scott Hammond: Oh, no.
Betty Chinn: So my waist down completely numb. No feeling. What you gonna do? Just lie down on, on there, it's soaking wet early hour in the
Betty Chinn: morning.
Scott Hammond: Oh, man.
Betty Chinn: So I do my meditation, and then, um, finally, a- about an hour or so, the s- sun right coming out, and then my… I can feel my, my tingles coming back.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: So I try to get up, but I had roll them over and get up, something like that.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I had nine men surround me.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then they, they'd been waiting for me. They didn't see me bring the coffee and donut. They worry about me.
Scott Hammond: They were concerned.
Betty Chinn: They come out.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And they surround me. I say, "What the heck are you guys doing? Not even say what-"
Scott Hammond: Pray, praying, praying for you.
Betty Chinn: Not say something to me. I had laid down here so long.
Scott Hammond: Where's the donuts?
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And the donut go in the sun, you know.
Scott Hammond: Come on, you gotta get up and serve those donuts.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then they say, "You know, Miss Betty, because you lie down there, no strength."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "And I don't want you feel scared when you cannot move. We're all in here."
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Betty Chinn: And then I said, I, I said, "I gonna kick you guys' butt,"
Betty Chinn: you know?
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "At least you talk to me."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "And I don't feel like I'm by myself here, all the animal by me," and then-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … so anyway, I, I never feel scared.
Scott Hammond: So where, where does your power and your strength and your fearlessness, your grace come from?
Betty Chinn: I think really from my young life. I go through a lot.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: And nothing can scare me, and I feel like I done arriving. I feel like I, I'm a chosen one.
Scott Hammond: Hmm. You said chosen?
Betty Chinn: Chosen one, yeah. I really do.
Scott Hammond: So you're Roman Catholic, right?
Betty Chinn: Yeah, I am.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: A- and then but, uh-
Scott Hammond: By faith
Betty Chinn: … my faith, and then also too, uh, you had a gift. You can do that.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Not anybody. You have your gift, and I have my-
Scott Hammond: It's not dishes.
Betty Chinn: Yours not dishes, for sure.
Scott Hammond: Joni, not dishes. No dishes. Sorry, it's not my gift.
Betty Chinn: So, so, so that's what happened.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Uh, but s- it take me 10 year to struggling about h- why I called to help the people and how come sometimes I deny somebody.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: Take me a long, long time to understand, and then I tell myself… Actually, one of the homeless people tell me, I tell them, I say, "I feel so bad I deny you." Actually, he's the one tell me, say, "You are not deny me. I am not ready yet."
Scott Hammond: There you go. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: He o-
Betty Chinn: That-
Scott Hammond: So he owned it
Betty Chinn: … that kind of relationship.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. That kind of relationship we had, yeah.
Scott Hammond: I like it. That's very honest, straightforward.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: So this is the part of our show. I gotta get the bell up here, right? So Betty, this is kind of a quiz show, ready? This is where it gets really fun.
Scott Hammond: Uh,
Scott Hammond: I wanna know what, what a fun day would look like for you at Humboldt, Eureka. What, what is fun for Betty Kwan?
Betty Chinn: I can take the kid, go out to the beach.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Scott Hammond: The kids?
Betty Chinn: The kid from a shelter or, or, or-
Scott Hammond: Just go to the-
Betty Chinn: … our children programming.
Scott Hammond: Just go to Clam Beach or Samoa.
Betty Chinn: Somewhere.
Scott Hammond: And go play.
Betty Chinn: Just so s- kind of so wet.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. So you just go t- take the kids out. And the parents love it 'cause they get some space.
Betty Chinn: Oh, the parents, sometimes they like a kid. They, they live, uh, uh, born and raised in the Humboldt County, never had a chance to go to beach.
Scott Hammond: Go figure, yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. They say when you live by Disneyland, you never go to Disneyland. Go figure, yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So, uh, question number two. If we give you a donation, but it has to go to you for dinner out, where, where do you go to… Take, take Mr. Chinn, where do you guys go to dinner?
Betty Chinn: I haven't done that.
Scott Hammond: You haven't, you haven't eaten out? No? You had to cook your own dinner?
Betty Chinn: I scrap the pan.
Scott Hammond: Okay. Oh, that's right. You have the dishes gift.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. This tastes better.
Scott Hammond: So if we were to buy you dinner, what would you have? What would you prepare at home? Nothing? Simple?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Okay. How about coffee?
Betty Chinn: I had coffee.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, I bet you drink a lot of coffee y- 'cause you don't sleep.
Betty Chinn: No, actually, two cup of coffee is my limit.
Scott Hammond: That's the limit? Okay.
Betty Chinn: Uh, uh, when I join, the first cup is in the morning, 5:00.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: This is my midday.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: Then I get my energy's back, and then I can open the day center on, at 8:00, you know.
Scott Hammond: Okay. And so do you sleep at the center?
Betty Chinn: Uh, y- I have the bedroom there.
Scott Hammond: You got a v- your, your name's on it.
Betty Chinn: No, yeah, yeah. That true.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Well, you'd have to if you s-
Betty Chinn: No, I, I slept at-
Scott Hammond: … cover
Betty Chinn: … uh, USC, they do a experiment, like, um,
Betty Chinn: trailer.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: They build a, like, a trailer long enough for my body.
Scott Hammond: Oh, really?
Betty Chinn: Like a box.
Scott Hammond: You have, uh, your own box.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then I can say, or we'll say it look like a coffin.
Scott Hammond: That's 'cause she sleeps in the box at the homeless shelter.
Betty Chinn: It had my name on it.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Oh, that's, that's, that's good. I like it. So, um, what do you like about Humboldt County?
Betty Chinn: The people very unique.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Either they agree with you or not agree with you, but always there.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Betty Chinn: Um, I, you know, I haven't see any, um, I, some they say, say bad things about the emotional.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: But s- over- oversee the people very kind.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Very kind to me, and then, uh, everybody very f- um, k- kind and concerned.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. There's, there's a connection.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. They are really good to me, and not, nobo- you know, sometimes they say bad things, but they need more education, but-
Scott Hammond: Right
Betty Chinn: … but right now-
Scott Hammond: They don't know
Betty Chinn: … we are very good to… Humboldt County is, uh, really beautiful. I like to stay in here. I was at, um, the Bay Area.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Uh, from Palo Alto all the way
Betty Chinn: to-Carmel
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: I say, "I wanna go by the Humboldt County."
Scott Hammond: Ah. 'Cause that's a beautiful place, too. Carmel's beautiful.
Betty Chinn: It's different.
Scott Hammond: Oh, it's, uh, very different. Yeah. No, to- totally different. So I wanna talk about your legacy, what we're gonna say after y- you, you're gone. What would we… What would you want them to say at your funeral?
Betty Chinn: You die, you die.
Scott Hammond: You're-
Betty Chinn: I don't, I don't hear anything anymore.
Scott Hammond: I don- But I always ask everybody. What do, what does it say on the, on the gravestone, on the tombstone about
Scott Hammond: Betty?
Betty Chinn: I don't think I'm gonna die. And then my mother lived to 104.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: I still have a way to go.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, so d- you're in deep denial. That's great.
Betty Chinn: I don't know. Just-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … just another person.
Scott Hammond: Okay. Just another person.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I like it. That's a good answer. What do you think, Nick? I like that. So question. Uh, I have two questions-
Betty Chinn: Mm
Scott Hammond: … and then we're gonna, we're gonna close.
Betty Chinn: Okay.
Scott Hammond: And they're the hardest questions.
Betty Chinn: Okay.
Scott Hammond: Who… So Joni's father, Tom, down in LA, he's a great guy. He had two questions for people. Who are you and, and what do you want? So I'll start with the first question.
Scott Hammond: Betty,
Scott Hammond: who are you?
Betty Chinn: I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, and most important, uh, I'm a friend with the,
Betty Chinn: um, less fortunate people.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. 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?
Betty Chinn: I ke- everything I need.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I don't need any more.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. What do you want to accomplish? Maybe say it, I'll say it differently.
Betty Chinn: He- I think you living and learning.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: But I, I am the person is, uh, come along.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: 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.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: But something need to done, I will.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. I like that. So you'll get down and do it, the dishes.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: To go… You must have a lot of connections in Humboldt, then, to go get furniture or a place.
Betty Chinn: The people donate it.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, they donate a dresser, and yesterday I picked up the queen-sized bed for the people moving in to-
Betty Chinn: today.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Dishes.
Betty Chinn: A- and I have volunteer, I have volunteer help me to pick up the washer and dryer on
Betty Chinn: Saturday-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … for the family.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's great. So you get them all set up.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I, I did, did total strange to me.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I don't know them, and then, um, my car was die out, my truck.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And somebody saw it, and, uh, a couple days later, he bought the one-year membership for AAA.
Scott Hammond: Oh, very nice. So you got the towing and everything.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And I said, "I hope not gonna happen again," but they said, "Nothing long. Got the car a year."
Scott Hammond: Very nice. Yeah, they have the roadside assistance.
Scott Hammond: That's cool.
Betty Chinn: So that kind of people affect me a lot-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Betty Chinn: … give me a lot of strength, inspire me a lot.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And I keep going what I'm doing, yeah.
Scott Hammond: There you go. There's a source of strength, yeah, when people hold you up.
Scott Hammond: So the, um, you didn't know this couple? You just were helping them. Y- you knew that they were getting on their feet.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I love it. So they were strangers, and now they're not.
Betty Chinn: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. I bet they know you now.
Betty Chinn: But they know I'm mean. I, I'm not the nice person Betty can get
Betty Chinn: by.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, tell me about that. What happens when that happens?
Betty Chinn: Oh, I tell, I tell them straightforward what happened, what they do wrong, what they
Betty Chinn: need to do.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I'm not enabling anybody.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I'm not. And then, so, um, like if somebody tell me, uh, they saw somebody hand pandering there, say, "Need money." Say, "Go ask Betty." "No, Betty's very mean. He wouldn't help me."
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Betty Chinn: That kind of stuff, yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's good. So that's part of who you are. You're the mean Betty.
Betty Chinn: Oh, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Well, firm.
Scott Hammond: Fir-
Betty Chinn: I had to tell them tr- the truth.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: If I enabling them and baby them, they go nowhere.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.
Betty Chinn: But most of them, like two or two generation or three generation being
Betty Chinn: homeless.
Scott Hammond: Oh, boy.
Betty Chinn: They don't wanna go to work. I say, "What, what the heck are you thinking?"
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: "You honest- You much, much younger than me. I feed you, and you don't do nothing?"
Scott Hammond: Yeah. What's that?
Betty Chinn: That's fair?
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: That's not fair, right?
Scott Hammond: That's accountability.
Betty Chinn: And they say, "What I can do?" So I say, "Let's do the hard labor." I take them to the, the place at the Samora, the foot rice place.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Hard labor.
Scott Hammond: Perfect. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Why not?
Betty Chinn: Right now they working, and they get a, a, uh, they feel good about when they get paid.
Scott Hammond: Oh, boy. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And they open a checking account or savings account in the bank, and then they say, "Betty, this time I don't have to sit outside begging for money. I come in here, open the ch- this bank account," you know?
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh. Good.
Betty Chinn: They build their, uh, their ability.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: They can find themself self-esteem, too, when they-
Scott Hammond: Yeah. I think there's holiness in work. There's a, there's a, um… I don't know. Maybe holiness isn't the word I'm looking for.
Scott Hammond: It's… There's a, um, there's something cool and righteous and gracious and holy and beautiful about work and responsibility.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I did it. I provided for myself and my own, and
Scott Hammond: that's-
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm
Scott Hammond: … pretty darn cool.
Betty Chinn: But the guy, I do that at, um, right now he open a shop at
Betty Chinn: the Medford.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: Green shop, and then for the-
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow
Betty Chinn: … do yard work, stuff like that.
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.
Betty Chinn: But they don't know. They need somebody to guide them.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: But you had only distant. You don't have to baby them. And they say, "I'm hurt. I'm tired." I say, "So do, so what? I'm tired, too. What am I gonna do?"
Scott Hammond: Right.
Betty Chinn: Can I stop not make the dinner for you?
Scott Hammond: Right. Right. So when you get somebody, you encounter somebody, they go, "No, thank you. I don't wanna work," what do, what does that do to you?
Betty Chinn: So, no, they say, "Why do, why do I need to work?"
Scott Hammond: Yeah. And let's say they refuse. They… 'Cause people do
Betty Chinn: I say, "Well, you have a try."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then,
Betty Chinn: w- when your time you ready, you come to talk to me.
Scott Hammond: Come see me.
Betty Chinn: I can find a job for you.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: So normally they check the temper tangent scare, more like a
Betty Chinn: scare, fear-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Betty Chinn: … to hold a job.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: That's what happen. When they say yes, they do it. And then they don't have that e- embarrassment.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: That, that's what happen. It's not like that they are lazy, not go to work.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: It's just worried about to fail. I tell them, "You don't f- you don't fail down, and you don't learn."
Scott Hammond: That's right.
Betty Chinn: You fail down and get up.
Scott Hammond: Yep. Fail forward.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Yeah. That's fine.
Scott Hammond: I have a 19-year-old, he's on day three of his new job. And I, I think he feels really good about life right now. He's, he's excited. So tell us more. Tell, tell me about the book real quick. Can you hold it up? So hold it up right over here to this camera over here.
Betty Chinn: Okay.
Scott Hammond: That's y- Oh, lookit. You got a book.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. It-
Scott Hammond: Great Bird Sings.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. So this a story about my life when I was in China.
Scott Hammond: Oh, okay.
Betty Chinn: And then you can see how much, um, uh,
Betty Chinn: suffer.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Or… But I had my strength. I, I look back at that time, it's really best time in my life, and that's a young age build the passion in my heart.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: Lot to do right now what I'm doing.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then, um, helping the homeless people not because that Betty's a good person. Also help Betty healing.
Scott Hammond: Yourself. You get the blessing, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I, I-
Scott Hammond: That's the s- that's the secret right there.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. I tell everybody, "Don't thank a Betty." I say, "You guys have got to think about how much Betty benefit you, too."
Scott Hammond: You get the benefit.
Betty Chinn: So the book is everything, uh, donated to the
Betty Chinn: foundation.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm.
Betty Chinn: The donation, the writer and me both, um… I think good time to tell, and then this very much like, um,
Betty Chinn: God's story.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Good.
Betty Chinn: Because I see how much it change and, and I, I see how I can do that for for- last 43 years.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: I never been school one day in my life.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Betty Chinn: I am very impatient.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. You are.
Betty Chinn: I am not organ- organization at all.
Scott Hammond: You too?
Betty Chinn: Uh, and then I, I just say, "Do it.
Betty Chinn: You do it."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: You know, not like a n- uh, patiently
Betty Chinn: baby them.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then so that's what happened.
Scott Hammond: So firm. So k- is that book on Amazon?
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: So you can buy this on Amazon.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: We could buy it at the, I bet at the Betty Kwan Center.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: And you can buy it on the website, I bet.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: So you keep saying yes. Yes. You can find it everywhere.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. And then the, like I say, because, um, what do you want me to do, and then hopefully this things
Betty Chinn: sell.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Betty Chinn: And then the money can build up the, the foundation much better.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: It's much stronger.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And then, uh, it's a good program and I wanna keep them going.
Scott Hammond: Amen. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Good. So appreciate you being here. One more time, for everybody. So f- I- if I see this or hear this, I go, "Hey, I wanna hit that lady, I wanna hit her up with some money." So we could go, uh, online.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Betty Kwan…
Betty Chinn: Chinn
Scott Hammond: … chinn.com?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So there's a .com. There's a site.
Scott Hammond: So we can-
Betty Chinn: This. You can go to Google.
Scott Hammond: If you do-
Betty Chinn: You can find me anywhere.
Scott Hammond: Google Betty Kwan. Yeah, there.
Scott Hammond: Qian.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. That, that. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's two Ns.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: And that is, uh… And we could call. We could call the center.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: We could come by. How about-
Betty Chinn: I really, I really wanna people see it because of when they donate a stu- money to me or anything.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Even furniture, anything. I wanna see how, how our system, what to
Betty Chinn: do. How-
Scott Hammond: Sure
Betty Chinn: … how we run it, you know?
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: So also, do you do PayPal and Venmo and all that on the-
Betty Chinn: We do PayPal, yes.
Scott Hammond: PayPal works? Okay.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: Good.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: And so the website, and then Facebook.
Betty Chinn: Yeah, Facebook.
Scott Hammond: How about Instagram?
Betty Chinn: I'm not that yet.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: I don't know.
Scott Hammond: Probably Facebook u- easy to-
Betty Chinn: I don't do very much. Uh, any donation, we hire somebody, Mary. She work two hour a day, and she taking the money donation. I don't like touching money.
Scott Hammond: So she's the, she's… It's separate deal.
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: And you're a nonprofit, of course.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Betty Chinn: Yes.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: So one story about Betty Kwan Qian.
Scott Hammond: Please, yeah.
Betty Chinn: Why is the Kwan Chinn here? So I always Betty Kwan, and then when I met Obama-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Betty Chinn: … and then Obama said, "Betty, you should honor your, your family
Betty Chinn: s- i- you know, suffer so much during the Cultural Revolution." So I changed my name Betty Kwan Chinn.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Betty Chinn: I listen to the president. I say, "I listen to you. You are president."
Scott Hammond: Ah. Mr. President, I will obey that part.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. Life is good. Life is good.
Scott Hammond: Life is good. Hey, thank you for being here.
Betty Chinn: Welcome.
Scott Hammond: Bless you, and we wanna help. Uh, again, Betty Kwan Chinn, Google, donate, um, give, come tour.
Betty Chinn: Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: Um, donate stuff. I guess you could do stuff, right?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Can I donate my Jaguar, my car?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: You probably do it all, right?
Betty Chinn: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Real estate.
Betty Chinn: Uh-
Scott Hammond: Estate, trust, all that stuff. You probably have somebody that could help with that.
Betty Chinn: We have the, uh, Paul Gallegos, our board member. He help me out.
Scott Hammond: Very good. Yeah.
Betty Chinn: And the car, we wanna keep it, get to our s-
Betty Chinn: um, client.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Betty Chinn: Can go to work.
Scott Hammond: Get a car to, that'll run and go to work.
Betty Chinn: Go to work, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Very good.
Betty Chinn: Yeah. That's what we do when we take the car. That's the only reason. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Perfect. Hey, thank you for being here. Appreciate you.
Betty Chinn: You're welcome.
Scott Hammond: Bless you.
Betty Chinn: This is fun.
Scott Hammond: Thank you. Bye-bye.