What would you do if you were an immigrant who built a business over ten years, accepted your landlord's rent increases, then he notified you of eviction anyway to remodel and upscale the space, and then somebody stole everything you own from your home? Henry's Gallery Cafe has been owned by Jung Sook Park and his family for over a decade. They have been notified to cease business July 25th and be out, with nowhere to go, by the 31st. Surely there is somebody who can and will help. Will it be you? https://www.gofundme.com/henrysgallerycafe

It is time for some everyday heroism! Perhaps you are a decision-maker who wants Oakland to be a place where small businesses can actually survive, and knows of a place they can and should move to have a shot at thriving again. Do you speak Korean and English and find yourself able to help with getting the facts straight in order to tell their story to English-only speakers? Are you a journalist , or do you know a journalist who would want to fit this story in the super-important larger narrative? Are you involved in property, law, or both, and able to help them pro bono to explore their options thoroughly? Do you know anybody who might fit the descriptions above or have some other gift to offer these good folks in crisis?

Thanks for acting now! Please do any/all of the following:

1. Add your name to the many at https://www.gofundme.com/henrysgallerycafe (with or without a donation) to let Jung know he is not isolated, then share with your networks asking that they act now.
2. Like/share/RT/etc https://twitter.com/bdwc/status/888109817625157632 and https://www.facebook.com/lynettemcelhaney/posts/1364593910321149
3. Go eat there, take friends, and tell them about the support they are getting but can't see/feel.
4. Keep asking in public the questions (above) that will help them find the help they need.

 

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San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr

Emailed via http://www.sfchronicle.com/author/otis-taylor/

Otis,

I truly appreciate your decision to report on Luan's bookstore. The story is most helpful in that it provides evidence that Oakland decision-makers' support for "revitalization" is lackluster at best. In reading it, I wished that you had noted that their efforts are devoted mostly to big-dollar interests (like the new monster high-rise going up at 17th and Broadway), rather than increasing the traffic and financial infrastructure support that small businesses actually require to flourish. May I ask that you do a follow-up in that direction, and report about the perfect storm of crises that are about to kill another pillar of the community in Oakland? https://www.gofundme.com/henrysgallerycafe

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Henrys-Gallery-Cafe/111445505554614