Client Spotlight: Emily Chan

Eventually, her parents moved back to Hong Kong, but Emily stayed, completing her education, getting married and starting a family of her own. She worked as a health care professional for more than 10 years until her company closed and she was put out of work. When that happened, the family had to scramble to make ends meet. “Our expenses were more than we could handle on one salary. But because my husband works full time we didn’t qualify for food stamps,” she says. “Also my third grader is autistic and needs to see a speech pathologist, which is quite expensive.” Their resources were stretched to the limit, and there was no room for luxuries.

Emily remembers what it was like to give up the things she loved as a child. “When we lived in Hong Kong, my parents were very comfortable,” she says. “I studied piano and ballet over there and had to stop when we got here.” She’s determined not to let that happen to her children. “My older daughter is good at everything she tries, but she’s very serious about ballet,” she says proudly. “During the pandemic, she took dance classes over Zoom. At-home dance class isn’t the best—she can’t do high jumps because of the small living rooms—but she does as much as she can.” Now that classes are back in person, Emily applies for financial aid to as many programs as possible, and this summer, her daughter received a scholarship to a prestigious dance program. “Many people feel shame asking for financial help. For me, I’ve been through a very poor situation and a very wealthy situation. I don’t care what people think. I do this for my kids.”

Scholarships have also allowed Emily’s 3rd grader to explore her interests in coding and math. “She even participated in an international math tournament,” she says, noting her daughter’s enthusiasm for STEM. “I don’t ever want to tell them they can’t pursue their dreams.”  

Shopping at the Newton Food Pantry has been a huge help to the family’s finances, as well as their quality of life. “We manage to handle the living expenses, but just barely. Not having to worry about food is so nice. They have fresh vegetables, healthy food, sometimes even organic food,” she says. “They even have Asian food, which is amazing—tofu, egg noodles, green scallions, bean sprouts, Chinese sauces, black mushrooms. They even have snacks for the kids. When I come back from the Newton Food Pantry they ask ‘What do you have? What do you have?’”

Without the Newton Food Pantry, the Chans would get by, but life would be a little less sweet. Watching the girls pursue their dreams, even when times are tight, is something Emily couldn’t have imagined when she was their age.