Ma Kaing's Burmese restaurant Taw Win reopens after her death
On Thursday evening at the City Park Pavilion, a tribute was held by Hope Communities to honor community pillar and businesswoman Ma Kaing. Kaing was killed in mid-July outside her apartment complex while she was unloading her groceries from her car.
"We just cannot forget the strength and the power, and the residence of a woman like that," said Sharon Knight, the president and CEO of Hope Communities. "We cannot let her death be in vain. We really want to use this time to mobilize the city."
Since Kaing's death, some mobilization has come for the residents living around the New Freedom Park area. Denver has installed more lights and surveillance cameras. They've also looked at response times in the area.
"It takes time to heal from whatever happened," said Ladia Htoo, a resident who lives there. "I don't feel completely safe with more lights, but it does make me feel better that I'm not hearing more gunshots at night."
The neighborhood is also receiving a $230,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to increase police foot patrols and to bring in a victim advocate dedicated to the East Colfax community.
"Consistently making progress towards making this neighborhood better, making this neighborhood safer, give us reassurance that we are cared for, and we are heard and they care about our safety," Htoo said.
After weeks of being closed, Taw Win, Kaing's Burmese restaurant is finally opened again. Her son John told CBS4 he wants to continue her legacy, not just through policy change, but through her food.
"He wants to honor his mom's recipes by sharing them with the world, and I'm hoping they can succeed in that, and that we can continue to support the family anyway that they need it," Knight said.
The additional foot patrols started as soon as the funds became available from the DOJ. The city is currently in the process of selecting and hiring a victim advocate.
