BLUE ANGELS AMONG US
Tzu Chi Volunteers at Pier 94 in New York
By Kang Tzu-ting
Shortly after the September terrorist
attacks, a group of Tzu Chi volunteers from New York, New
Jersey and Long Island left their own busy jobs and came to
help at Pier 94 in New York City. They were there for days,
then weeks, and finally months to listen to victims' families,
to shed tears with them, to give them a hug, or to give them
money or checks. But when I saw these families thanking the
volunteers with tears on their faces, I finally saw the beauty
of human nature, because Great Love transcends all boundaries.
And I also realized the meaning of the phrase "global
village," which the Master once explained in this way:
"We became brothers and sisters when we were born into
the world-we don't need to share the same parents."
They are all around you
"I went to do relief work three
years ago in the Dominican Republic. I felt I was so distant
from the refugees, so I couldn't sense their suffering. I felt
I was there to learn. But now I am doing relief work after the
911 incident, and the victims touch me deeply because they are
right next to me." Peggy Shen, a Tzu Chi volunteer, has
pitched in to help ever since the beginning of the tragedy.
Peggy speaks fluent English and Cantonese.
Her short hairdo clearly defined her facial features. She
had lived in New York's Chinatown for many years before moving
to New Jersey last year. Since her sister, Tzu Chih, was a
Tzu Chi commissioner in New Jersey, Peggy joined Tzu Chi several
years ago. She also went with Master Te Chen and Tzu Chi USA
Director Huang Szu-hsien to do relief work in South America
in August last year.
After the September 11 attacks, she went almost every day
to help at the Tzu Chi relief station at Pier 94 before going
to work. Recently, Tzu Chi set up another service center in
Chinatown, just a short block away from Peggy's office at
the Chinese-American Independent Practice Association. Because
of her fluency in Cantonese, she was a great help to Cantonese
speakers who had survived the attacks.
Peggy recalled with tears that a firefighter's
wife told her that her husband had died in the incident, but
she would still be strong enough to raise a four-year-old
and a six-year-old. She wouldn't cave in to the terrorists.
This woman spoke with much determination and strength, but
with tears in her eyes that made Peggy also want to weep.
Tzu Chi work comes first
As a
dentist, Sister Lin Hui-ju, a Tzu Chi volunteer from New Jersey,
was able to walk through police checkpoints to the World Trade
Center immediately after the incident and was able to pass all
kinds of information from the scene to volunteers outside the
blockade. On the second day, she saw many rescue workers sweating
and wishing for something cool to drink. She immediately informed
the Salvation Army that Tzu Chi could send in cold bottled water.
Because of this, our volunteers were able to transport cold
water directly to the rescue workers in the disaster area. In
the evening of the third day, it suddenly became very cold and
the rescue workers all hoped for something hot to drink. Lin
immediately told us to prepare the corn soup the Americans love
the most. Indeed, the first thirty gallons of corn soup became
a favorite with the rescue workers, and they asked for the soup
for many days after.
We have to thank Sister Lin for her quick
information and careful observations, which helped us bring
in appropriate supplies to the disaster area. Despite her
skinny build, she still ran between New York and New Jersey
for more than a month.
We always saw her at Pier 94, and when
we asked her how she could abandon her patients to come here,
she often told us, "Tzu Chi work comes first!" None
of us could match her spirit.
One day Sister Lin told me proudly that
an injured Chinese woman had received a large sum of emergency
money through her help. She also told me that this injured
person told her that she would join her as a volunteer after
she had recovered. Sister Lin was very proud of that. She
was now applying for financial support for several families
of victims. She smiled all the time, never tiring of the troubles
that came to her. We just felt terrible to see the dark circles
around her eyes.
Cherishing blessings
"It's an enormous blessing for
me to come help at Pier 94," said Vivian Chang, who had
been a volunteer at the Tzu Chi School of Humanities in New
York for several years. She came to Pier 94 the first day that
Tzu Chi began to distribute relief goods.
"I never thought I would be
here for more than a month," said Vivian. At first, she
would try to hold back her tears when she was listening to
the stories that families told about their missing loved ones.
But when they had left, her feelings would pour out.
She always came at 8 AM. She worked for
a financial consulting firm, just above the Tzu Chi New York
branch office in the same building. She went to volunteer
at the Tzu Chi School of Humanity every weekend and lived
an easy life. However, her life was completely changed after
September 11. Because she came in contact with victims' families
every day, she was able to understand Tzu Chi better. For
instance, she didn't understand the Tzu Chi concept of "directness"
in carrying out rescue work. After joining the relief work
at the pier, she understood why Master Cheng Yen wanted Tzu
Chi people to hand over relief goods directly to disaster
victims. Master Cheng Yen wanted them to personally experience
caring and mutual help between people. Vivian also said that
after seeing so many tragedies, she felt she was very fortunate
and had learned to cherish all her blessings.
She blinked her eyes when she recalled
a sad story: A young mother holding a baby told her that she
lived near a train station in New Jersey. Whenever she heard
the 9 P.M. train, she would believe her husband might miraculously
appear before her, because he always used to take that train
home from the World Trade Center every evening. She could
still hear the train every evening at nine, but her husband
would never show up again. Their two young children didn't
even know their father was dead and would never return. Vivian's
voice choked at this point.
Use love to soothe the pain
Kuo Pi-lien of the Tzu Chi Long Island
office went to help at Pier 94 every day. At a Tzu Chi candlelight
vigil, she heard the sad story of Mrs. Chang, who had come alone
from Taiwan to New York to arrange for her daughter's funeral.
Pi-lien brought Mrs. Chang home and helped her to fill out all
the necessary documents.
Mrs. Chang didn't speak English, and she
was quite perplexed by all the complicated documents. She
was already heartbroken by the death of her daughter, and
now the complicated procedures were leaving her completely
exhausted.
Pi-lien said that it would usually take
both of them the whole day for some procedures, and sometimes
it took them two days if all the needed documents weren't
ready. One time Pi-lien had to go to Pier 94, and she took
Mrs. Chang along. Mrs. Chang was very happy to be there because
the Tzu Chi volunteers treated her as dearly as their own
mothers.
Pi-lien said that at Pier 94 she often
saw an American woman sitting in a restaurant, staring into
space. One day she walked over to her and talked with her.
The woman seemed a little absentminded, and she spoke with
a quavering voice. She had survived the September 11 attacks,
and ever since then she was too afraid to stay home alone.
She always felt safe with other people around her. So she
came to Pier 94 every day and went home only when her family
had returned. Pi-lien spent a long time listening to this
woman pour out her grief, hoping that she could thus find
some peace.
Many people have been tormented psychologically
since the attacks, and Pi-lien said that Tzu Chi people in
the United States would have to use love and patience to care
for survivors and victims' families for a long time. Only
love can soothe the pain of the survivors of September 11.
