West 13th Street Alliance hosts digital
community sharing event
BY BETH DEDMAN
As the West 13th Street Alliance
was reconsidering how to reach its
community, members held a digital
forum last week where small business owners
and neighbors could share about their
hopes and hardships amidst the COVID-19
pandemic.
“We wanted something that really will
help people on an emotional level,” said
Birgitte Philippides-Delaney, president
of the West 13th Street Alliance. “This is
just when we were supposed to have the
worst week of the whole crisis. They had
about 16 people and they wanted us to do
it again.”
Anna Chiang participated in the Community
Sharing zoom call. She has been the
owner of The Inkpad, a decorative rubber
stamp and paper arts shop, for 22 years.
She moved The Inkpad’s location from
12th Street and 8th Avenue to 233 West
19th Street in February.
She was only able to keep the new location
open for 16 days before she thought it
was necessary to close to keep her employees
and customers safe in the COVID-19
crisis.
“I am my store and my store is me,” Chiang
said. “So it is so weird not to be there.
I am most alive when I am at work and
when I am talking to my customers. I love
my employees and my customers and our
product. I feel stopped from doing much.”
Because the buses have stopped running
between New Jersey and New York
City, she has not been able to return to her
store and cannot sustain running online
sales without consistent access to her
merchandise.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BIRGITTE PHILIPPIDES-DELANEY A past event held by the West 13th Street Alliance.
Chiang tried to secure a Paycheck
Protection Program grant for the sake of
paying her employees, some of which have
worked for her for 12 years, but because
she changed the company name when she
moved locations, she did not qualify.
While Chiang had been aware of the
gatherings and events of the West 13th
Street Alliance, she had never been able
to participate because the meetings were
during her hours of operation. She was
eager to join what would be her fi rst-ever
Zoom conference.
Chiang got emotional when she shared
what she and her business were going
through.
“I saw these people that I know and some
I don’t know but had seen them around,”
Chiang said. “I was so affected by how
we were all getting together. It fi lled my
heart to see people get together and share.
I hadn’t really shared with anyone about
my store but my employees.”
Chiang has training in life-coaching and
could tell that the other people of all ages,
backgrounds and occupations in the call
were grateful to have a place to share.
“There is something about seeing other
people’s faces and seeing them nod and
acknowledge what you’re saying,” Chiang
said. “Not everyone’s struggle is the same,
but there is a commonality in sharing.”
Chiang will participate in future community
sharing events. In the meantime,
she will focus on how The Inkpad will
come back.
Philippides-Delaney and the West 13th
Street Alliance are continuing to provide
resources and events like this one in the
future.
“I think during this time, there are a
lot of local small nonprofi ts that are used
to face to face action with the community
and we are surprised how much we can
help the community virtually and they are
committed to doing that,” Philippides-
Delaney said. “What’s interesting is
how active we are in the community. We
helped connect all of the electeds in an
email along with a grocery store with
special deliveries.”
More information about the West 13th
Street Alliance is available on their social
media pages and through email.
Johnson distributes 2,000 pantry boxes to seniors, families
BY BETH DEDMAN
NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s
offi ce will distribute 2,000
pantry boxes to homebound seniors
and families across Council District
3.
IAC and High Line together purchased
$50,000 worth of Fresh Direct boxes fi lled
with groceries.
Volunteers from an effort launched by
Johnson’s offi ce will deliver the boxes to
residents. Volunteers called thousands of
seniors to check that they had supplies.
The boxes will also go to public housing
complexes and other affordable housing
buildings for distribution.
“When times are tough, New Yorkers
come together and help one another,”
Johnson said. “During these hard times,
we must all work together to ensure that
not one of (our) neighbors goes hungry.
Moments like this make me so proud to
be a New Yorker. I want to thank the High
Line, IAC, Fresh Direct and the dozens of
volunteers who are coming together as one
community.”
Volunteers delivered the fi rst 500 boxes
to IAC’s storage facility in Chelsea on April
20. The rest will arrive over the next two
weeks. The fi rst deliveries were made to
Manhattan Plaza in Hell’s Kitchen and
the NYCHA Fulton Houses and NYCHA
Elliot-Chelsea Houses.
PHOTO: MARK HALLUM
4 April 23, 2020 Schneps Media