Elliman Connection: Graig Linn on Giving Back to Local Small Businesses, One Storefront at a Time

Graig Linn wasn’t the only one who was noticing the new graffiti popping up around his neighborhood. Friends and neighbors alike were commenting on his social posts taken from daily walks—they too, were frustrated at the vandalism. So, Graig decided to take on a self-funded initiative and do something about it. Elliman Insider  sat down with Graig to find out everything from how he continues to give back to his community to how those on the front lines continue to inspire him. ELLIMAN INSIDER: What are some ways you’re giving back to the community? Graig Linn: Night after night on my evening safe sanity walks in my Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, I began to see graffiti popping up. Over the last four weeks, large installations of graffiti and tagging spread to the storefront gates and glass windows of over 30+ small business and restaurants up and down 9 th and 10 th  Avenue between 42 nd  and 57 th Street. The neighborhood’s feel and look started to resemble what I imagine it looked like back in the ’80s and ’90s. This neighborhood has changed in so many positive ways over the years and is already safe haven for so many of the LGBT community. For several years I have served as a member of my HK 49-53rd Block Alliance, and our local NYPD Midtown North precinct community committee, but the speed to get things prioritized, implemented and done is challenging. My friends and neighbors all have been commenting on my frequent social media posts from my walks and were discouraged just like me. Thus, I embarked on a self-funded initiative to purchase supplies, gather up a group of friends and community members to come together to support our community and our local small businesses and remove all the graffiti.   EI: What’s inspired you to donate your time or efforts to that particular cause? GL: I have lived and resided in Hell’s Kitchen for over 12 years. The restaurants and local businesses are places I frequently patron. The owners, managers, cashiers, waitstaff, bartenders, and kitchen staff have become my friends and extensions of my family. I know them and they know me by name.  For those ownersmanagers who have been keeping their doors open they are barely still holding on by a thread between the drastic lost in revenue, their already high lease rents and employees who are getting sick and having to call out and self-quarantine.  The remainder have shut their doors completely with no plans to reopen or some with the hope to reopen in the future. My neighbors, my friends, the owners of my favorite go-to spots, my residential clients live or invest here, and I live here. This is our home; this is our neighborhood and this is our community. EI: What’s the best way you think we can provide emotional and motivational support to each other through all of this? GL: Just being there for each other. Frequently checking in with loved ones, colleagues and friends. And, above all, doing natural and selfless ways of kindness. EI: What are some ways you think others can give back while still practicing social distancing? GL: Checking with the elderly in your circle, building or in on your neighborhood. See if they need anything, a grocery or prescription run, or just perhaps a simple verbal conversation or video chat. EI: When business goes back to usual, how do you think you can still maintain your sense of community and continue to give back? GL: My sense of community has not changed, despite the small pause in business. If anything, the pause has allowed me even more time to serve on my community, by advocating public safety and quality of life issues at the monthly NYPD precinct meetings and continue to participate as a member of our local Community Board 4 meetings regarding affordable housing, transportation, and community affairs. I think the one main takeaway will be that perhaps during this pause I have been able to mobilize others to do the same and will continue to motivate, gather and push forward future initiatives to have our community resume and become even that much better than before!! EI: People have been coming together to support each other during this time; have there been some examplesmoments that have inspired you? GL: Family members along with friends and clients who are doctors and nurses and healthcare workers who are all coming to work every day facing obstacles one after another. In the past few weeks before their shifts they find themselves breaking down in tears. They are paralyzed with fear. Fear of choice. Because they do not want to decide who they must save.  A human being should never make that decision. They are overwhelmed, terrified and tired, ready to give up because it is all become too much. Even for them, professional, trained, skilled and hardworking individuals! They put on their masks, their face shields, gloves and protective gowns and they choose to show up every day to fight for other people’s lives! Donate to Small Business and Block Association Graffiti-Free Fundraiser