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During our 7-year stay in New Orleans, we have
been hit by hurricanes at least once a year but
with little damage. We were used to hurricanes
and had no fear for them. A friend of mine even
joked about the evacuation from the hurricane
being an enjoyable experience. He said that it
was a chance to travel without using his annual
leaves.
In the morning of 8/27, I received several phone
calls from my friends. We talked about the coming
of Katrina and none of us wanted to evacuate at
that time. Around midnight of the 27th, we learned
from the news on television that Katrina had become
extraordinary powerful and we finally decided
to leave. We packed some clothing and food for
the road and left home around 4:00AM. The road
was jammed with people running away from the hurricane.
It took us 16 hours to reach Houston which normally
is a 6 hour drive.
As soon as we checked in the hotel room, we turned
on the TV to watch CNN. Around 7 AM on the 29th,
we saw from the news how Katrina had devastated
New Orleans, and realized that we could not go
home and our children could not go to school.
We had only some cash and local bank cards with
us when we left our house. With these limited
resources, it was impossible for us to stay in
Houston for a long period of time. We decided
that I should take our two children to my sister's
in San Jose, and my husband would stay in Houston
waiting for a chance to go home to pick up more
belongings and inspect the damage.
My children and I arrived in San Jose on 8/31.
With my sister and her husband's help, our children
were able to return to school in September. My
sister was also expecting a baby, and my parents
had just come to stay in their house with the
purpose of taking care of her and the newborn.
My brother-in-law was the only bread earner in
the house, and it became rather difficult to support
so many people.
My sister and I discussed how to find help for
me and for my children. I called Red Cross, but
the line was always busy. I called FEMA, but there
was always no answer. I didn't know where else
to turn to. My sister knew of a Chinese charity
organization called Tzu Chi Foundation and suggested
that I ask them for help. On the same day (9/1),
I happened to see on the Chinese Evening News
the Tzu Chi hotline for Katrina relief. I took
down the number. To me, it was like a straw for
a drowning person. I called Tzu Chi San Jose office
and instead of hearing a recorded message, a real
person answered the phone! The man listened patiently
while I told him my story. He took down my name
and phone number and said he would transfer my
information to Sister Lin who would be in charge
of the case. I put down the phone and thought
to myself: How long did I have to wait to hear
from them? Maybe forever! I was in despair when
I heard the phone rang. It was Sister Lin from
Tzu Chi. She asked about my condition and said
she wanted to visit me two days afterwards because
she had a fundraising activity the following day
(Saturday).
At our appointed time on Sunday, the door bell
rang. I opened the door and found two sweating
ladies with smiles. I invited them to sit down
and told them what had happened to me in the past
few days. I was choked with emotion at times and
they shed tears with me. Sister Lin briefly introduced
what kind of organization Tzu Chi was, and made
a list of my current needs. She comforted me and
said Tzu Chi would help me through the difficult
time. She stressed that Tzu Chi helps people in
need without asking anything in return. I was
so touched by her words and thanked them again
and again. When they stood up and were ready to
leave, I saw their names on their name tags for
the first time: Lin Shan-Ru and Cheng Fang-Ru,
two beautiful names etched in my mind since.
Early in the morning of the next day, on Labor
Day, Sister Lin called and asked me what time
of the day was convenient for her to visit. In
the afternoon, she asked her parents to baby-sit
for her and delivered some urgently needed supplies
to me: a new comforter, two bags of children's
clothing (including school uniforms), toys, books,
CD games, two school bags, stationary, and notebooks.
She learned the previous day that our children
would go to school the following Tuesday, and
she prepared those school supplies in such a short
time. I was again deeply touched.
In the following Tuesday, Sister Lin came again
with $300 relief money and two bags of clothing
for me. I invited her to sit down for a cup of
water, but she said she had to leave immediately
to attend a parents meeting at her children's
school. I was once again moved to tears.
Katrina destroyed my house, but it brought us
to know Tzu Chi Foundation. Tzu Chi volunteers
responded quickly to my calls, and offered me
their sincere help and comfort. I will remember
this heart-warming experience forever.
Yan Yen
September 2005 in San Jose, California
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