Help Flows For Dual Tenant

The outpouring of help for fire victims continued Friday.

Two days earlier, Jessica Xiong lost both her business, , and her upstairs apartment in the blaze at .

On Friday she was at work a half-mile away in a salon, , 444 Humphrey St., where her friend Cindy Le works.

“Because of her I am right here,” said Xiong, walking over to Le’s nail station.

After the fire, Le asked her boss if Xiong could work at the nail salon, located in the same plaza as the 7-Eleven store.

“I try my best,” Le said. “I do anything for my girl friend. I love her.”

Artistic Nails owner Kim Tran opened her shop to Xiong after she found out about her situation.

“She is welcome,” Tran said.

Back at her nail polishing station, Xiong applied bright red polish to customer Maureen Freeman’s nails.

Xiong brushed the shiny liquid with great precision.

Xiong had much less control when it came to her emotions.

She paused to wipe away tears.

Within the span of an hour. at least 12 customers came in to the shop to hug and help Xiong.

Some of them handed her gift certificates for food and clothing. Some of them dropped off clothing.

Some of them, including Jennifer Burke of Burke’s Tumbling Academy, dropped off checks.

Freeman said Xiong is the last person anyone would want to see lose their business and their apartment.

Freeman said Xiong has been thrusted into an awkward position — of being asked to accept help.

Xiong has lived in the United States for about 20 years but sends money back to her family in China. Her mother lives near Hong Kong.

Customer Andrea Malcolm said Xiong cares about people.

“She knows and cares about everything in your life, your family, your child,” Malcolm said.

Xiong has worked in Swampscott for 10 years and has many customers.. 

She had owned her own business for 10 months before fire struck late Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

She is living at while she hunts for an apartment in town.

Freeman said she hopes there is a landlord who will let Xiong into an apartment without requiring first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit, given her financial straits.

Some of the help that came Xiong’s way on Friday originated at Town Hall.

Town Administrator sent an email Friday morning to numerous people letting them know about Xiong’s misfortune, losing both her business and her home, neither of which were insured.

Xiong said she is grateful for the help friends have given her.

“They mean a lot to me,” she said. “They always be there for me. I want to say thank you.”

Six business owners and 13 people lost their businesses and homes in the fire.

The other businesses were the e, , and .