A plethora of charitable and community endeavors might never have reached their full potential if not for a half-frozen sweet roll served as breakfast onboard a Midway Airlines flight in 1983. Most passengers probably ditched the dough with hardly a thought, but not Sue Gin, the daughter of Chicago restaurateurs, who used it as ammo to focus her entrepreneurial spirit on catering flight cuisine through Flying Food Group (FFG), which generated almost $10 million in revenue in its first year, according to Business Daily, and is now global.
But this is more than Gin’s success story as the founder of FFG because her business sense was rivaled only by the depth of her compassion. Not only is every dollar of profits reinvested into operations or used to help others, according to a 2023 Business Daily article, but Gin created a trust for a continued legacy of community support.
Numerous charitable and community groups, many in the Chicago area, have Gin and FFG to thank for their growth. Among them is the Chinese American Service League (CASL). Described on its website as the largest social services agency in the Midwest, CASL is “an all-inclusive nonprofit agency caring for seniors, training the workforce, placing immigrants on the path to citizenship and securing our community housing and financial well-being.”
In an interview with Globe Banner, CASL Chief Executive Officer Paul Luu delved into the many ways the Sue Ling Gin Charitable Foundation Trust has helped the League serve the community—from jobs with livable wages to nutrition for all ages to healthcare, and now, plans for a new Bridgeport neighborhood location.
“The Sue Ling Gin Foundation (SLGF) and Flying Food Group have been long-time supporters of the Chinese American Service League and the Chinese American community in Chicago for decades,” Luu said. “Their philanthropic support has given our organization the resources needed to provide critical services, from childcare to in-home senior care.”
The League’s cherished Culinary Training Program got some of its first support from SLGF. Today, the Culinary Training Program is a recipe for success on many levels as it “puts individuals on the path to livable wage jobs in the culinary industry, providing a stable foundation to build a thriving life,” Luu said. Adding that FFG’s generosity at times extended to giving students jobs, Luu said, “Sue Ling Gin was intentional in providing opportunities for members of her community any time she was able.”
Unrestricted gifts
By offering gifts without restrictions, the Sue Ling Gin Foundation and Flying Food Group have enabled CASL to steer funding toward the most critical growing needs. As Luu explained, unrestricted funds during COVID-19 allowed for the launch of a senior meal program just when the pandemic eliminated services. “These funds have allowed for expansion of the senior meals program into a more robust food and nutrition access program, which is exploring ways to address hunger for all ages,” Luu said.
Another example is the recent purchase of a 5.3-acre plot of land in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood to serve a client base migrating beyond the Chicago Chinatown area. “This additional location in Bridgeport will allow CASL to provide a new neighborhood location to connect community members with comprehensive social/health services and affordable housing, create a community learning and recreation space along the riverfront that will provide a peaceful, beautiful gathering area, and build accessible, economic engines to the local community and its residents,” said Luu.
When asked about a Sue Gin success story, Luu noted this very project, which received a $10 million donation, as a major endeavor for CASL and described as "unmatched" the “level of commitment and guidance" from David Cotton, FFG’s CEO.” Yet he stepped outside Chicago in his appreciation to mention national accomplishments bolstered as well, such as economic transformation in Jamaica, New York, through the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, among hundreds of success stories.
Beyond support for higher education and nonprofits, these benefactors also have healthcare on their radar, such as the launch of the Sue Gin Health Center providing a free health clinic on Chicago’s west side in partnership with RUSH University, Luu said. That’s in addition to the free health clinic in Los Angeles, which FFG runs for all its employees, he noted.
A growing community
In supporting CASL, the Sue L. Gin Foundation is supporting the often-overlooked Asian American community. Luu described this community as the fastest-growing population in the U.S. but one that often lacks support as per the Seeking to Soar report by Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, showing only $.20 of every $100 distributed from foundations has gone to back organizations serving Asian Americans.
“The Sue Ling Gin Foundation and Flying Food Group have not only provided financial support to increase services and opportunities for the Asian American community, but they have invested in educational programs through the Field Museum (the Sue Ling Gin Center for Education and Public Program) and the preservation of the Asian American culture through the investment in the Sue Ling Gin Garden and the Field Museum,” Luu said.
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago received a $20 million gift from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation in 2023, according to a museum press release.
One way the Foundation impacts the society at large is in building a data hub that can help the Asian American community throughout the U.S., CASL’s chief operating officer, Jered Pruitt, said. “CASL believes that all residents should have access to the support that will provide the foundation and help them build a thriving life for themselves and their families,” Pruitt said, citing the creation of a data hub benefiting Asian American organizations from Seattle to Massachusetts through CASL’s national project, Change InSight©.
“In doing so, CASL can provide disaggregated data back to our partners and surrounding regions to give a data-voice for them to advocate for the different needs of the over 50 ethnic communities within the Asian American diaspora,” he said.
Decades after Sue Gin’s encounter with bad airline food, her legacy continues to find new and innovative ways to help others, like CASL. This caring entrepreneur has given her philanthropy the power to continue making a difference in Chicago and beyond.