California community buys out donuts so shop owner can spend time with sick wife

[Upbeat music.]

In our series,

"A More Perfect Union,"

we aim to show that
what unites us as Americans

is far greater
than what divides us.

In the small surf town
of Seal Beach, in southern California,

donuts are suddenly
selling fast.

That's because customers
of this 'mom and pop' shop

made it their mission
to help the owners

in their time of need.

John Blackstone
went to Donut City early one morning,

to see how people
are coming from all over,

to 'pay it forward.'

[John Blackstone]
Seven days a week,

John Chan arrives,
a little after 4 in the morning,

to open his donut shop
in Seal Beach, California.

- Morning.
- Two dozen.

[Blackstone] The first customers
arrive by 4:30 a. m.

These days,
you have to get there early,

because the donuts
are likely to be sold out, before dawn.

[Woman] I'm getting
five dozen donuts.

[Blackstone] Five dozen donuts?!

Five dozen, yeah.

I'm going to take care of the staff,
today, at my kid's elementary school.

[Blackstone] Since 1990,
John Chan has been behind the counter

with his wife, Stella, by his side.

- How is she doing?
- She's okay.

- Ahh.

[Blackstone] John's wife
of more than thirty years

is now recovering
from a brain aneurysm.

Her sister stepped in
to help out,

but customers
immediately missed Stella.

[Man] She is smiling,
and full of life.

Always in a great mood.

Just says: "Hi! How are you?
Good morning!"

[Blackstone] Because of their affection
for the man who makes the confections,

the community wanted to help.

As word spread about Stella,
people said:

"Oh, we'll give you some money.
We'll open a Go Fund Me page.

We'll give you some money."

[John Chan] Oh. No.
We don't want it.

I can make it good enough,
by myself.

[Blackstone] You didn't want people
to just give you money?

[John Chan] No, no, no.

I'm not used --
[Laughs]

[Marc Loopesko] We wanted to offer
John some money,

but he's a proud man,
and didn't want to take it.

So, I said,

"Let's just come here,
buy his inventory out, every morning,

early, so he can get home
and be with his wife

and help mend her,
back to full health."

[Blackstone] One person shared
Chan's story, on social media,

suggesting the community
could help out,

and bring donuts
to work, church, school...

because as soon as the
donuts are sold out,

John could leave,

and spend more time with his wife.

Suddenly, donuts were selling
by the dozens, and dozens.

[Man] Hi, I'd like to get a dozen donuts?

[Woman] Can I have two dozen?

[Man] Give me four dozen?

[Woman] I am from Minnesota,
and I heard about this --

this is awesome!

[Blackstone] You heard about this
from your daughter?

[Man] My daughter, and her husband,
are stationed in Hawaii.

Uh, they are military.

And, she got hold of us, and said

we needed to come down,
and support this family.

[John Chan] Very busy.

But, I don't mind.
I like it.

[Blackstone] John and Stella
are refugees from Cambodia.

They became part of
the fabric of this community,

selling donuts to generation
after generation.

[Tim Wrigley] Yeah, they are
national treasures, here, at Seal Beach.

They have twenty-eight years,
right here.

Yeah, they're great people.

[Blackstone] And that is why,
morning after morning,

as the sun comes up,
the donuts are disappearing.

- Thank you.
- Have a good day.

[John Chan] I just want to say
thank you very much,

for neighbors coming here,
they make me happy, so much.

[Blackstone] By 6:45 a. m.,

just more than
two hours after Chan opened,

nearly everything is gone,
but the donut holes.

[Woman] I ordered the whole pan
of the donut holes.

[Blackstone] The whole pan?

[Woman] The whole pan. Yeah.

[Blackstone] Is there anything
left, for you to order?

[2nd woman] I ordered
a second pan.

There were two pans.
We took them all.

[Blackstone] In this little shop
by the sea,

the only thing sweeter
than the donuts

is the outpouring of affection

for the man behind the counter.

[Man] John, I just wanted to say
thank you, for everything.

[John Chan] Thank you.

[Blackstone]
For "CBS This Morning,"

John Blackstone,

Seal Beach, California.

[Gayle King] We needed that.

We needed a reminder
that there is humanity

in this country, and that
people really want to do good,

and do well, and help others.

Kindness never, ever
goes out of style.

Not for nothin', but you could
tell, those donuts looked good.

[Laughter]

The glazed sugar.
In the cabinet. I want those.

[Woman] He does a good job.
And, seeing refugees

as national treasures,

and someone
who does not want a handout.

He didn't want money.

He wanted his product
to sell for itself.

And the community helped.

[Woman] I'm biased,
but I am a fan of refugees.

This one checks all the boxes.
Right?

You've got great food,
great hearts in the community,

and people coming in from
thousands of miles away.

[Gayle King] Anybody with a heart

should be biased,

when you look at
a story like that.

Thank you, John Blackstone.

[All] Yeah, thank you.