About Eggrolls
Since 2018, Thanh-Nga Nguyễn (who goes by ‘Tanya,’), the owner of Chuminh Tofu, began serving free meals every Sunday to anyone who wants it, no questions asked, and free of charge. At first, her effort only involved herself, her husband Pablo, and a couple of family friends. But since then a devoted group of volunteers, now dubbed ‘The Eggrolls,’ has taken form.
The Eggrolls are a self-organized mutual aid group made up of volunteers. Based in the Little Saigon neighborhood of Seattle, our group works in collaboration with ChuMinh Tofu to support the community at and surrounding 12th Ave S & S Jackson St.
You can find us every Sunday morning between 10.30 AM and 12.30 PM.
Our Values
Eggrolls represents an alternative and a choice. It represents an alternative and a choice to not accept dehumanization as the norm and instead to find small steps to intervene; to decide for ourselves how we want the world to look; to trust and not fear.
There is an alternative and a choice to running a business as usual: one where people can organize for authentic generosity and respect with the city’s most stigmatized residents. And there is an alternative and a choice to support the oppressed and not the oppressor.
With the rise of disruptive and harmful sweeps of encampments, we know that our communities are under attack. The beauty of organizing at Chu Minh is that it’s a harm-reduction strategy. Feeding people in need is harm reduction. Providing PPE (personal protective equipment) in a pandemic is harm reduction. Making people feel welcomed no matter the circumstance and cleaning up the spaces that criminalize community members is harm reduction.
Press
Chuminh Tofu's free Sunday meals offer a model for community aid | International Examiner
Lunar New Year and ChuMinh Tofu's Radical Compassion | South Seattle Emerald
Love, Mutual Aid, and Humanity at ChuMinh Tofu | South Seattle Emerald
ChuMinh Tofu Deli Serves Free Meals in Seattle's Little Saigon on Sundays | Eater Seattle