Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

On April 4th, the border town of Mexicali in Baja California, Mexico, suffered a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, which damaged or destroyed large parts of the town. Volunteers from the Tzu Chi Mexicali service center and Tzu Chi USA headquarters immediately carried out disaster surveys. On April 10th, a disaster relief team, comprising of 48 Mexicali and US Tzu Chi volunteers, arrived in the worst-hit town of Delta, in the Mexicali area, with aid supplies for 191 families.

While the moon still lingered in the sky, Tzu Chi volunteers were already on their way to the aid distribution site in Delta, Mexicali. “The food supplies include rice, kidney beans, sugar and flour; there are also blankets, water and tissue paper," said volunteer Margaret Chang. At the distribution site, ten Tzu Chi aid workers, together with 38 local volunteers, were busy packing the supplies. While waiting for the aid distribution to take place, residents learned a sign language song.

Tzu Chi volunteers conveyed Master Cheng Yen’s well-wishes in a letter to the quake survivors. With a humble bow and a smile, volunteers handed aid packages to the recipients. The supplies were packed in bags and buckets, making it handy for quake survivors to carry all their supplies home.

A local volunteer said, "Most of us learn more about how to help more people - with our heart and with the Buddhist spirit.” Learning by doing, local Tzu Chi volunteers found this experience to be rewarding, and were happy to be of help to the 191 families who suffered from the earthquake.



Life Wisdom: 04/13/2010 Sowing Seeds of Love in Places of Suffering