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Our Story Through Different Lenses

  • Fortune Magazine: Watch the above video for a deep dive into the challenges of aging Asian Americans facing high rates of social isolation and poverty, and our community-centered solutions.

  • CBS News, May 2025: Click here to see a window into our ongoing mission.

  • Glamour's "Women of the Year" Profile: To explore the heart of our work, chronicling our path from a small kitchen to a movement of care, click here.

Nourishing NYC’s Asian Elders with love and food every week.

OUR STORY

What began as a Downtown Los Angeles supper club in 2015—a personal passion project bringing strangers together through shared meals and meaningful human connection—took an unexpected turn when the duo drove cross-country moving to New York City, their intimate gatherings planting the seeds of what would soon take root. 

As COVID-19 began to impact local neighborhoods in early 2020, they witnessed families struggling with job losses and food uncertainty. Their response was immediate and deeply personal, creating free breakfast and lunch kits for multigenerational families, each accompanied by various books for all ages. Their efforts supporting local businesses and bridging community gaps through the universal language of food and stories.

 

When schools began distributing free meals to families with children, and COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic, the existing inequities in our communities became starkly visible. Yin and Moonlynn witnessed the compounded challenges facing Asian American older adults experiencing not just a health crisis, but layers of food insecurity and social isolation in a landscape of systemic barriers—including language limitations, technological exclusion, economic constraints, and cultural invisibility. Their neighborhood support efforts rapidly evolved into Heart of Dinner's relief efforts initiative, an intentional response to support those most at risk and living in significantly under-resourced communities. 

Converging their professional experiences—spanning media production, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and hospitality—they urgently addressed the interconnected crisis of food insecurity, social isolation, and loneliness. They asked themselves one guiding question with each decision: How would we want our own grandparents to be treated? They poured the same care into each detail that they would for their most beloved family members—making sure that Elders would feel truly seen, deeply loved, and embraced by a sense of belonging.

On April 1st 2020, they cooked the first Heart of Dinner relief effort hot lunches, penning notes of love on each to-go container. Inspired by love letters exchanged throughout their decade-long relationship and childhood memories of their grandmothers' home cooking, they reimagined elder care through the language of love and food. Through raw and intimate storytelling, they ignited a community movement that captured hearts globally. Thousands of donors, partners, volunteers, and local businesses joined together, enabling them to transform their small kitchen initiative into a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving Elders across New York City's boroughs. 

 

Heart of Dinner emerged as a transformative model for community care, offering a holistic approach to supporting communities with historically limited resources—one that honors the full humanity of beneficiaries. By providing culturally nuanced care, supporting local economies, and creating meaningful intergenerational and multicultural connections— their innovative framework has inspired organizations and individuals to reimagine care beyond transactions—effectively open-sourcing a new paradigm of community support.

In January 2025, Heart of Dinner expanded its mission, launching emergency relief efforts in Los Angeles to address the catastrophic wildfires crisis, highlighting the ongoing need for culturally responsive support in communities often overlooked by traditional emergency responses. As of May 2025, Heart of Dinner is approaching 250,000 meals delivered—a testament to the power of community. This remarkable journey is made possible by our incredible supporters and dedicated team members, each kind and compassionate individual contributing to our shared mission of nurturing and connecting.

The most meaningful measure of our impact comes from the Elders themselves. One couple we first served in 2020, then ages 89 and 86, shared: "Thank you for caring for us; thank you for bringing us happiness; thank you for giving us something to look forward to each week. You all are our grandchildren. We love you all."

Heart of Dinner continues to serve with a commitment to love and familial care. We invite you to join our mission of providing care packages of nutrient-dense foods and culturally nuanced sense of belonging to our beloved Elders.

Heart of Dinner is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, tax ID 85-2676806.

Heart of Dinner was founded by partners in life and love, Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai.

Photo credit Alex Lau.jpg

Yin Chang

FOUNDERS
CO-FOUNDER

New York born and raised storyteller and strategic leader, Yin Chang has redefined community care through innovative systems design and narrative impact. Recognized for her role in Gossip Girl, she moves fluidly between entertainment and social impact as a writer, actor, founder of Heart of Dinner, and creator of 88 Cups of Tea, consistently pushing boundaries of narrative representation and community building.

Moonlynn Tsai

CO-FOUNDER

Moonlynn Tsai is a Taiwanese-American restaurateur and entrepreneur who grew up in Carlsbad, California, spending time at her parents’ Chinese-American restaurants leading front-of-house operations, back-end admin work, and marketing. Before committing to a career in hospitality, Moonlynn dabbled in various odd jobs, including buying and selling snuggies and shake weights on eBay. Over the past decade, she combined her lifelong passions for eateries and community building by bringing new hospitality concepts to life, including San Jose’s first craft beer bar; a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Silver Lake; and a critically acclaimed restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side. 

IN THE MEDIA

Press

GLAMOUR Named Heart of Dinner Founders Yin Chang & Moonlynn Tsai "Women of the Year"

GLAMOUR Named Heart of Dinner Founders Yin Chang & Moonlynn Tsai "Women of the Year"

FORTUNE Highlights Heart of Dinner's work in supporting aging Asian Americans facing high rates of social isolation and poverty

FORTUNE Highlights Heart of Dinner's work in supporting aging Asian Americans facing high rates of social isolation and poverty

Humans of New York Feature on Heart of Dinner

Humans of New York Feature on Heart of Dinner

The Oprah Magazine featuring Heart of Dinner as one of the nonprofits devoted to helping their communities rise above

The Oprah Magazine featuring Heart of Dinner as one of the nonprofits devoted to helping their communities rise above

ZAGAT speaks with founders Moonlynn Tsai And Yin Chang on serving the Elderly by bringing meals and love to those in need while overcoming the dual challenges of COVID and prejudice.

ZAGAT speaks with founders Moonlynn Tsai And Yin Chang on serving the Elderly by bringing meals and love to those in need while overcoming the dual challenges of COVID and prejudice.

Food & Wine magazine interviews Heart of Dinner founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai about nourishing Chinatown’s most vulnerable

Food & Wine magazine interviews Heart of Dinner founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai about nourishing Chinatown’s most vulnerable

Cherry Bombe (Issue No. 15: Be The Change) feature on how Heart of Dinner's founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai pulled together their community to care for homebound elderly

Cherry Bombe (Issue No. 15: Be The Change) feature on how Heart of Dinner's founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai pulled together their community to care for homebound elderly

THEM features Heart of Dinner: Out on the Frontlines: This Queer Couple Is Feeding NYC’s Chinese Elders With a Loving Touch

THEM features Heart of Dinner: Out on the Frontlines: This Queer Couple Is Feeding NYC’s Chinese Elders With a Loving Touch

The TODAY Show features Heart of Dinner: Meet 2 women providing hot meals to elderly Asian Americans in their community

The TODAY Show features Heart of Dinner: Meet 2 women providing hot meals to elderly Asian Americans in their community

VICE feature on Heart of Dinner: People Are Writing Notes to Comfort Elderly Asian New Yorkers

VICE feature on Heart of Dinner: People Are Writing Notes to Comfort Elderly Asian New Yorkers

TIME Magazine highlights Heart of Dinner: BIPOC Entrepreneurs Have Been Hit Hard by the Pandemic—But as They Work to Save Their Businesses, They're Also Giving Back

TIME Magazine highlights Heart of Dinner: BIPOC Entrepreneurs Have Been Hit Hard by the Pandemic—But as They Work to Save Their Businesses, They're Also Giving Back

The New York Times mentions Heart of Dinner: Providing food to older Asian people in New York with a personal touch

The New York Times mentions Heart of Dinner: Providing food to older Asian people in New York with a personal touch

Inspired?

Help fund Heart of Dinner’s meals and nourish our community of elders.

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