SAN JOSE — In one of the largest private donations in San Jose history, a Vietnamese-American billionaire Wednesday donated $5 million to San Jose flood victims — the biggest gift for them since the disastrous flood engulfed three neighborhoods last week.
Kieu Hoang, a Vietnamese refugee and Los Angeles County businessman who owns Shanghai RAAS Blood Products, handed Mayor Sam Liccardo a $5 million check at an announcement with city officials. Liccardo said all of the money will go to flood victims.
Hoang initially planned to donate $2 million for immediate relief efforts, with the remaining $3 million to be given at a later date. But the 73-year-old on Wednesday donated the entire amount.
Hoang and Liccardo were joined at a news conference by Councilman Tam Nguyen, whose district includes the Rock Springs neighborhood, which suffered some of the worst damage in the Coyote Creek flooding.
“I’m humbled by his generosity, I’m really proud to have a Vietnamese donor,” said Nguyen. “I hope this will bring some comfort and hope to the victims.”
But the generous gesture has some community leaders hoping it goes to those who need it most.
“When I heard the public damage from the flood is $23 million, I was afraid the donated money might not go to the victims,” said Jenny Do, executive director of the Friends of Hue foundation, a nonprofit that promotes Vietnamese culture. “But I recorded the mayor’s statement, and I’m going to monitor it to make sure the people who are affected will get the necessary help.”
Liccardo said the $5 million donation will go into a relief fund set up by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which has already reached $1 million. The foundation will then distribute the money to nonprofits such as Sacred Heart, the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and The Salvation Army to help flood victims.
Liccardo said the nonprofits will set up criteria for how the victims get paid. Priority will be given to those without shelter or the ability to go to work. Victims must sign up by going to a local assistance center at the Shirakawa Community Center, located at 2072 Lucretia Ave.
For those who can’t visit the center, city officials are working on setting up a phone number and email access.
Not far from where city leaders celebrated the sizable donation Wednesday, Francisco Silva wondered where he’d sleep that night. His apartment was wiped out by the flood and he’s been paying out-of-pocket for a motel for more than a week now.
Silva said he can’t go to a local shelter because he has a baby. City officials said babies are allowed at the shelter, but some parents worry about security and cleanliness. Silva said he visited the city’s assistance center for help, and they told him “he’s on the list” and needs to wait for funding.
But time is running out. Silva, 39, a construction worker, is almost out of cash.
“I’m running out of money,” Silva said. “I spent all my money on a motel. They keep telling me I’m on the list and it’s been one week.”
The mayor said victims should start getting paid “no later than this weekend.”
Councilman Nguyen said Hoang decided to donate the money after his friend Chieu Le, the owner of the San Jose-based Lee’s Sandwiches chain, pitched an idea to put donation boxes in his sandwich shops.
Nguyen said Hoang replied: “‘That takes too long. How about I give you a million dollars right now?'”
Hoang, who is on the Forbes Billionaires List with a net worth of $2.8 billion, flew to San Jose to make the donation Wednesday.
“I want to see the worst area,” Hoang said, as he walked through the flooded neighborhood, wearing a face mask before entering a crumbling apartment complex. “I want to step on the mud with my shoe.”
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Nguyen said his district has 33,000 Vietnamese residents, and he estimated that 85 percent of the 400 flood victims in his area are Vietnamese. He wants to see the money spent on housing and transportation needs.
Nguyen has asked Liccardo to allow “grass-roots” and ethnic nonprofit groups to get some of the money. Liccardo said the city and community foundation chose the four nonprofits, but would reach out to other organizations that have “cultural and linguistic competence” as needed.
Longtime San Jose resident Kathleen Daudistel, who donates to Catholic Charities, hopes her money directly helps San Jose flood victims — and soon.
“I was looking for something that would more directly help the victims,” she said. “I want to make sure it’s earmarked for this pocket of people here in San Jose.”
