Get the latest stories and updates sent to your mailbox.
Tzu Chi USA will receive the proceeds from your tax deductible donation.
At least ten tornadoes occurred in Central and Northern Texas during a severe storm on the evening of March 21, 2022, gravely damaging buildings in some areas. A tornado hit Williamson County that night, wreaking havoc in cities including Round Rock, Hutto, and Taylor. According to Texas news reports, the storm impacted 450 homes in the County; nearly 150 were destroyed or severely damaged.
Tears stream down Rochelle Wight’s cheeks as she opens the door to her new mobile home. Rochelle had been living in her car with her pug, Buddy, for the past few months. Before that, she lived with a friend. Following a California wildfire, Rochelle was effectively homeless for over three years.
The first large post-pandemic event hosted at Tzu Chi USA Headquarters gathered over 1,500 participants to support the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s medical and educational sectors. The Compassion Action Walkathon spiked a surprising amount of attention from old supporters of the Foundation and new friends alike.
On April 4, 2022, representatives from diverse faith-based organizations (FBO) gathered at Tzu Chi Center in Manhattan to share valuable insight via a hybrid event, discussing topics from our changing climate, advocating for and strengthening the rights of women and children across communities, physical and mental health in the post-pandemic era, and more.
As volunteers set up their booth in front of The Tzu Chi Alhambra Medical Center in Southern California, a slew of visitors showed up to collect pandemic-prevention safety supplies. Some attendants had heard about the event through the media, others were leaving their appointments at the clinic, and several were just passing by the event and became curious. Volunteers met people who were in need of supplies for different reasons, but their goal was the same: to protect themselves and those they love from contracting COVID-19.
The women who are temporarily housed at the Wellsprings Village in Houston, Texas have greatly missed the camaraderie of Tzu Chi volunteers. Though the organization remained involved with the transitional residence program throughout the pandemic, Tzu Chi is excited to return for an in-person event come April 2022.
On Thursday, March 3, 2022, a gas explosion and two-alarm fire injured at least 14 people and displaced over 200 community residents in Silver Spring, Maryland. Due to the significant damages, three of six buildings in the Friendly Garden Apartment complex have been declared unsafe to occupy. Mobilizing swiftly, Tzu Chi USA’s Greater Washington DC Region volunteers joined hands with the Montgomery County Government to provide direct relief for 39 families.
Last week, Tzu Chi volunteers in Poland provided essential supplies for 300 people in the city of Poznań. The carefully arranged backpacks contained pantry staples and other daily necessities for Ukrainian refugees to pick up with ease. Local students had additionally called upon their classmates to assist in the distribution, and company directors drove trucks to help Tzu Chi deliver the supplies locally.
Student leaders from the TCCAA worked with Tzu Chi volunteers to offer free vegetarian meals to students from the University of Texas at Austin. The plant-based living advocates spread awareness about how a vegetarian diet can change the planet, one meal at a time.
In 2021, Texas drew new congressional and state legislative maps. With this, Tzu Chi USA’s Southern Regional Office address was redrawn into Precinct 4 in Harris County, Texas, which also encompasses the Southwest Management District. On March 15, Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, the county commissioner for Harris County Precinct 4 in Texas, visited Tzu Chi’s local office to learn more about our service projects in the community.
Ten community council members and representatives, including Grace Meng, the representative for New York’s 6th congressional district, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, came to Tzu Chi USA’s Northeast Regional office on February 16, 2022, for a conference. Together, those assembled hoped to encourage further collaborative community service efforts for the future.
