April 8-14, 2004

city beat

Kindness of Strangers

by Helen i-lin Hwang

Shortly after an 8-year-old girl was assaulted and nearly strangled in a public library, a kind stranger sent a crocheted pastel blanket along with a monetary donation to the Asian Bank. In the weeks since the Feb. 7 assault, the homegrown Philadelphia bank has become the guardian of a community project to help ensure a future for a child victim.

Thanks to sympathetic strangers, the Asian Bank has received numerous donations, gifts and letters for the family. Even an obituary for a South Philadelphia man, John M. Moffa, requested that donations be made to Asian Bank in lieu of flowers or gifts for his funeral.

At the beseeching of Chinatown leaders including the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. and Independence Branch librarian Jennifer Chang, the single-branch financial institution at 10th and Arch streets opened a bank account after the assault. Their aim is to provide for the little girl and her family, who will struggle to overcome the horrific ordeal for the rest of their lives. Acting as a "conduit for all donations" has been truly rewarding, says Linda Ackerman, the bank chief administrative officer and vice president who helps manage the donations.

The role she now plays helping a previously underserved neighborhood was something she envisioned when she first joined Asian Bank several years ago. The fact that they were asked to do this, and not the other banks in the area, "made us stand out as a true community bank," Ackerman says. The bank cannot disclose how much has been donated to date.

The family works closely with the privately held financial institution to administer the account, which will be used for the child's present and future needs, including her education, Ackerman says. Asian Bank first opened in June 1999 aiming to provide individualized service to the local community. Its customer-service credo also translates into banking in several languages including English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian and Mongolian.

The Support Fund is still in need of more donations to help the child now and in the future. Checks and donations can be mailed to Asian Bank -- The Support Fund, 1008 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 or dropped off at the Asian Bank or the Free Library, Independence Branch, 18 S. Seventh St.

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