Tzu Chi aid to U.S. hurricane victims
tops US$3 million
The Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation's
relief efforts for the evacuees of
Hurricane Katrina that struck several U.S. states in late
August are still ongoing, and as of mid-October, its financial
assistance to the evacuees in 11 states has surpassed US$3
million.
Tzu Chi's direct aid to Katrina victims
as of Oct. 13, 2005 included US$3.04 million to 17,292 families
in the form of shopping cards or checks, 35,000 pounds of
rice, 303 medical kits, and 37 sets of mattresses, sheets
and blankets.
The assistance to the victims of Hurricane
Rita included US$7,000 (for 40 families), 200 electric generators
and 1,152 cases of drinking water (worth US$140,000), 300
mattresses, 283 sheets, and 270 blankets.
After Katrina struck, Tzu Chi USA had mobilized
hundreds of volunteers to help the hurricane victims in 11
states -- Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi,
Nevada, California, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York.
In the case of providing aid to the victims
in the City of Biloxi, Mississippi, Tzu Chi sent a four-member
fact-finding team there from Atlanta on Oct. 6 to assess the
situation and discuss the relief plan with representatives
of the victims. They decided to distribute the relief materials
on Oct. 11.
On Oct. 8, Tzu Chi hired a truck to transport
the 35,000 pounds of rice from Los Angeles to Biloxi. The
rice, donated to Tzu Chi for relief purpose by two Los Angeles
firms arrived at the destination on Oct. 11 after traveling
3,100 km and crossing six states -- California, Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Twenty-six Tzu Chi volunteers from Georgia,
Texas, Alabama, and California got together in Biloxi on the
morning of Oct. 11 to distribute the relief materials. Biloxi
Mayor A.J. Holloway, three city councilmen, several local
policemen, FEMA staff members, and Red Cross volunteers were
present to help.
After giving out US$188,100 worth of shopping
cards to 1,265 households at the Biloxi City Community Center,
the volunteers proceeded to a Vietnamese-American community
to distribute 626 bags of rice (35,000 pounds) to 559 households
at a Buddhist temple and a Catholic Church. They also provided
303 Tzu Chi medical kits at the church.
In order to handle the relief materials
effectively, Tzu Chi members gave the aid to the recipients
directly in person, and with two hands to show their sincerity.
They produced a list of relief recipients beforehand through
the help of local Red Cross volunteers and Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) staff members.
Tzu Chi founder Master Cheng Yen launched
a fund-raising campaign to appeal for support for the relief
efforts. Tzu Chi members in 27 countries have responded, including
those in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong,
Japan, South Africa, and Taiwan. Tzu Chi chapters in Canada
have pledged to raise US$1 million.
In South Africa, one Tzu Chi volunteer
from the nation's Zulu tribe organized a gathering at a community
Tzu Chi built in order to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina.
Telling the audience that, "All people living on this
planet are one family, that no matter how far away the disaster
victims are, they are nevertheless our family," the volunteer
appealed for donations. To her dismay, the crowd started thinning
after she said this.
After the volunteer put the room back in
order, to her surprise, as she was about to leave, many people
started returning to donate money. However, some individuals
came to her and flipped over their hands, indicating that,
though they wished to, they had no money to offer. To these
people she handed them each a coin from her own pocket.
"I'm giving you this money now, so
it's yours. When you put it in the donation box, you must
be very earnest and think that this is your money that you
are giving and pray sincerely for the disaster victims, that
they may be able to soon recover and come out of hardship."
It is the hope of all Tzu Chi members that
with so many people pooling together their sincere love, even
small contributions will accumulate to truly help others that
each contribution may be like a drop of water that merges
with the sea.
