My name is Ae Sangasy, and I’m the owner of Khao Niew Lao Street Food, a small restaurant rooted in the heart of the Cully neighborhood. We’ve worked hard to create a space that’s not just about food, but about community, culture, and care.

On Monday morning, our small business experienced a devastating fire — and while we’re heartbroken by the damage, what hurts most is the loss of the only home Ron had.

Ron is houseless, but for the past few years, he’s been living on our property with our full support. He’s become part of our family — always lending a hand, showing up with kindness, and helping us keep things running behind the scenes. His small living space, humble but full of dignity, was completely destroyed along with our property during the fire.

By a stroke of grace, Ron wasn’t there when it happened; he was away working at a job site. But now, he’s left with nothing.

As a business, we’ll slowly rebuild. But for Ron, this may have been his one chance at having a stable place to call home — and we don’t want that to end here.

We’re raising $5,000 to help clean the property, rebuild a part of our enclosure and help rebuild a new space for Ron: something safe, warm, and lasting. Every donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward cleaning up the fire, rebuilding a part of our business and giving him a fresh start — and restoring a sense of peace and belonging for all of us.

Thank you for seeing Ron, for caring, and for standing with us in this time of heartbreak and hope.

With love and deep gratitude,

Ae Sangasy / Khao Niew Lao Street Food

UPDATE (5/19/2025)

OMG, You're all so amazing in coming together to help rebuild. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and Ron is extremely grateful as well. As of today, we started cleaning the area to clear everything out, so we can rebuild the fencing and the garbage enclosure. As the rebuild progresses, I will continue to keep you all updated! THANK YOU!!!