No handouts

Oct. 6, 2010

By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

First came the words of support and some followed with donations.

The one-, five-, 10- and 20-dollar bills presented to the Lin family were politely rejected and quickly returned. One spurned China Banquet customer threw $20 at the register and exited.

Gaofeng Lin said his family appreciates the community’s response after the theft of $11,000 earmarked for his grandmother’s cancer treatment.

His father, Jiesheng, was leaving the next day for the Chinese province of Fujian.

“(The customers) feel bad,” said Lin, a 2005 New Castle High graduate. “We do appreciate their sympathy. We’re very thankful.”

And that’s where it ends. No fundraisers, charity, benefits or gifts for the Lins, who have operated the business for the past 10 years.

“We want to use our hands to earn our money back,” he said. “We want to do something, like cooking your food.”

The theft occurred around 2:30 p.m. Friday at the North Jefferson Street buffet. Lin said seven Spanish-speaking men and women entered the building and ordered takeout meals. He said they had not been in the restaurant before.

Within the 15 to 20 minutes they were there, one member of the group asked where the bathroom was located. The money was gone when they left.

Lin said the money was in a bag and out of sight. Approximately $200 was also taken from a waitress’ laptop case.

“It seems like they knew it was in there.”

The city police department has not released a report on the incident.

Lin’s 75-year-old grandmother, Sai-Ying Chen, is in a hospital for lung cancer. However, she is unaware of the seriousness of the illness. Lin said her physicians have placed the responsibility of disclosing the information to Chen’s relatives.

“She doesn’t know she has cancer,” he said.

Lin said the doctors demand payment before starting treatment. They have provided enough money to have her placed into a treatment center.

“If you don’t have money, you’re waiting to die. They only accept cash.”

The Lins have borrowed money from family to help with costs. The cash was withdrawn Friday, he said, because their bank was closed on the weekend.

Lin said his father expects to head to China in one to two months with the funds needed to start the grandmother’s treatment.

Some have suggested to Lin that the theft was an inside job. He rejected the idea.

“People here are pretty nice.”

In the meantime, Lin said that people wanting to help should come to the restaurant — and eat.

“We want to earn it.”