WEBVTT 00:00:00.257 --> 00:00:04.160 [Upbeat music.] 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:05.037 In our series, 00:00:05.037 --> 00:00:05.919 "A More Perfect Union," 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:07.806 we aim to show that what unites us as Americans 00:00:07.806 --> 00:00:10.218 is far greater than what divides us. 00:00:10.218 --> 00:00:13.965 In the small surf town of Seal Beach, in southern California, 00:00:13.965 --> 00:00:16.706 donuts are suddenly selling fast. 00:00:16.706 --> 00:00:18.865 That's because customers of this 'mom and pop' shop 00:00:18.865 --> 00:00:21.245 made it their mission to help the owners 00:00:21.245 --> 00:00:23.485 in their time of need. 00:00:23.485 --> 00:00:27.226 John Blackstone went to Donut City early one morning, 00:00:27.226 --> 00:00:29.826 to see how people are coming from all over, 00:00:29.826 --> 00:00:31.655 to 'pay it forward.' 00:00:31.655 --> 00:00:33.805 [John Blackstone] Seven days a week, 00:00:33.805 --> 00:00:36.777 John Chan arrives, a little after 4 in the morning, 00:00:36.777 --> 00:00:39.816 to open his donut shop in Seal Beach, California. 00:00:39.816 --> 00:00:42.245 - Morning. - Two dozen. 00:00:42.245 --> 00:00:44.775 [Blackstone] The first customers arrive by 4:30 a. m. 00:00:44.775 --> 00:00:46.755 These days, you have to get there early, 00:00:46.755 --> 00:00:50.362 because the donuts are likely to be sold out, before dawn. 00:00:50.362 --> 00:00:52.669 [Woman] I'm getting five dozen donuts. 00:00:52.669 --> 00:00:54.045 [Blackstone] Five dozen donuts?! 00:00:54.045 --> 00:00:55.276 Five dozen, yeah. 00:00:55.276 --> 00:00:58.147 I'm going to take care of the staff, today, at my kid's elementary school. 00:00:58.147 --> 00:01:01.036 [Blackstone] Since 1990, John Chan has been behind the counter 00:01:01.036 --> 00:01:03.172 with his wife, Stella, by his side. 00:01:03.172 --> 00:01:05.316 - How is she doing? - She's okay. 00:01:05.316 --> 00:01:06.236 - Ahh. 00:01:06.236 --> 00:01:08.176 [Blackstone] John's wife of more than thirty years 00:01:08.176 --> 00:01:10.736 is now recovering from a brain aneurysm. 00:01:10.736 --> 00:01:12.818 Her sister stepped in to help out, 00:01:12.818 --> 00:01:15.267 but customers immediately missed Stella. 00:01:15.267 --> 00:01:17.566 [Man] She is smiling, and full of life. 00:01:17.566 --> 00:01:19.837 Always in a great mood. 00:01:19.837 --> 00:01:22.467 Just says: "Hi! How are you? Good morning!" 00:01:22.467 --> 00:01:25.660 [Blackstone] Because of their affection for the man who makes the confections, 00:01:25.660 --> 00:01:27.906 the community wanted to help. 00:01:27.906 --> 00:01:31.526 As word spread about Stella, people said: 00:01:31.526 --> 00:01:34.467 "Oh, well give you some money. We'll open a Go Fund Me page. 00:01:34.467 --> 00:01:35.469 We'll give you some money." 00:01:35.469 --> 00:01:37.716 [John Chan] Oh. No, you don't. 00:01:37.716 --> 00:01:42.016 I can make it good enough, by myself. 00:01:42.016 --> 00:01:43.829 [Blackstone] You didn't want people to just give you money? 00:01:43.829 --> 00:01:45.097 [John Chan] No, no, no. 00:01:45.097 --> 00:01:47.176 I'm not used -- [Laughs] 00:01:47.176 --> 00:01:49.787 [Man] We wanted to offer John some money, 00:01:49.787 --> 00:01:52.496 but he's a proud man, and didn't want to take it. 00:01:52.496 --> 00:01:53.638 So, I said, 00:01:53.638 --> 00:01:56.126 "Let's just come here, buy his inventory out, every morning, 00:01:56.126 --> 00:01:59.017 early, so he can get home and be with his wife 00:01:59.017 --> 00:02:01.377 and help mend her, back to full health." 00:02:01.377 --> 00:02:04.787 [Blackstone] One person shared Chan's story, on social media, 00:02:04.787 --> 00:02:06.995 suggesting the community could help out, 00:02:06.995 --> 00:02:10.411 and bring donuts to work, church, school... 00:02:10.411 --> 00:02:12.725 because as soon as the donuts are sold out, 00:02:12.725 --> 00:02:14.245 John could leave, 00:02:14.245 --> 00:02:16.426 and spend more time with his wife. 00:02:16.426 --> 00:02:19.986 Suddenly, donuts were selling by the dozens, and dozens. 00:02:19.986 --> 00:02:21.376 [Man] Hi, I'd like to get a dozen donuts? 00:02:21.376 --> 00:02:22.556 [Woman] Can I have two dozen? 00:02:22.556 --> 00:02:23.912 [Man] Give me four dozen? 00:02:23.912 --> 00:02:26.322 [Woman] I am from Minnesota, and I heard about this -- 00:02:26.322 --> 00:02:28.487 this is awesome! 00:02:28.487 --> 00:02:30.696 [Blackstone] You heard about this from your daughter? 00:02:30.696 --> 00:02:33.896 [Man] My daughter, and her husband are stationed in Hawaii. 00:02:33.896 --> 00:02:35.335 Uh, they are military. 00:02:35.335 --> 00:02:37.616 And, she got hold of us, and said 00:02:37.616 --> 00:02:39.911 we needed to come down, and support this family. 00:02:39.911 --> 00:02:41.445 [John Chan] Very busy. 00:02:41.445 --> 00:02:44.045 But, I don't mind. I like it. 00:02:44.045 --> 00:02:47.026 [Blackstone] John and Stella are refugees from Cambodia. 00:02:47.026 --> 00:02:49.827 They became part of the fabric of this community, 00:02:49.827 --> 00:02:53.716 selling donuts to generation after generation. 00:02:53.716 --> 00:02:56.625 [Tim Wrigley] Yeah, they are national treasures, here, at Seal Beach. 00:02:56.625 --> 00:02:58.545 They have twenty-eight years, right here. 00:02:58.545 --> 00:02:59.916 Yeah, they're great people. 00:02:59.916 --> 00:03:02.326 [Blackstone] And that is why, morning after morning, 00:03:02.326 --> 00:03:06.046 as the sun comes up, the donuts are disappearing. 00:03:06.046 --> 00:03:07.366 - Thank you. - Have a good day. 00:03:07.366 --> 00:03:09.986 [John Chan] I just want to say thank you very much, 00:03:09.986 --> 00:03:15.427 for neighbors coming here, they make me happy, so much. 00:03:15.427 --> 00:03:17.267 [Blackstone] By 6:45 a. m., 00:03:17.267 --> 00:03:19.465 just two hours after Chan opened, 00:03:19.465 --> 00:03:22.926 nearly everything is gone, but the donut holes. 00:03:22.926 --> 00:03:25.125 [Woman] I ordered the whole pan of the donut holes. 00:03:25.125 --> 00:03:26.175 [Blackstone] The whole pan? 00:03:26.175 --> 00:03:27.375 [Woman] The whole pan. Yeah. 00:03:27.375 --> 00:03:28.826 [Blackstone] Is there anything left, for you to order? 00:03:28.826 --> 00:03:30.296 [2nd woman] I ordered a second pan. 00:03:30.296 --> 00:03:31.794 There were two pans. We took them all. 00:03:31.794 --> 00:03:33.946 [Blackstone] In this little shop by the sea, 00:03:33.946 --> 00:03:36.278 the only thing sweeter than the donuts 00:03:36.278 --> 00:03:38.096 is the outpouring of affection 00:03:38.096 --> 00:03:40.057 for the man behind the counter. 00:03:40.057 --> 00:03:42.425 [Man] John, I just wanted to say thank you, for everything. 00:03:42.425 --> 00:03:43.516 [John Chan] Thank you. 00:03:43.516 --> 00:03:44.706 [Blackstone] For "CBS This Morning," 00:03:44.706 --> 00:03:45.496 John Blackstone, 00:03:45.496 --> 00:03:47.657 Seal Beach, California. 00:03:47.657 --> 00:03:49.237 [Gayle King] We needed that. 00:03:49.237 --> 00:03:51.419 We needed a reminder that there is humanity 00:03:51.419 --> 00:03:54.455 in this country, and that people really want to do good, 00:03:54.455 --> 00:03:56.055 and do well, and help others. 00:03:56.055 --> 00:03:59.556 Kindness never, ever goes out of style. 00:03:59.556 --> 00:04:02.067 Not for nothin', but you could tell, those donuts looked good. 00:04:02.067 --> 00:04:03.671 [Laughter] 00:04:03.671 --> 00:04:05.407 The glazed sugar. In the cabinet. I want those. 00:04:05.407 --> 00:04:07.686 [Woman] He does a good job. And, seeing refugees 00:04:07.686 --> 00:04:09.446 as national treasures, 00:04:09.446 --> 00:04:11.497 and someone who does not want a handout. 00:04:11.497 --> 00:04:12.928 He didn't want money. 00:04:12.928 --> 00:04:15.255 He wanted his product to sell for itself. 00:04:15.255 --> 00:04:17.085 And the community helped. 00:04:17.085 --> 00:04:19.738 [Woman] I'm biased, but I am a fan of refugees. 00:04:19.738 --> 00:04:22.208 This one checks all the boxes. Right? 00:04:22.208 --> 00:04:25.279 You've got great food, great hearts in the community, 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:28.466 and people coming in from thousands of miles away. 00:04:28.466 --> 00:04:29.566 [Gayle King] Anybody with a heart 00:04:29.566 --> 00:04:30.535 should be biased, 00:04:30.535 --> 00:04:32.411 when you look at a story like that. 00:04:32.411 --> 00:04:33.516 Thank you, John Blackstone. 00:04:33.516 --> 00:04:36.165 [All] Yeah, thank you.