As we continue to monitor the global COVID-19 pandemic, we’re doing our part to ensure that both our dedicated volunteers and the communities we serve can stay safe and protected. Learn How
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Rush hour during the new coronavirus pandemic in New York City is a strange sight. After the state implemented stay-at-home orders for non-essential businesses, traffic now moves rather smoothly. But, in the city that never sleeps, there is great panic behind closed doors.
"We are delivering blessings for you," said Tzu Chi volunteer Changtung Chiang as he dropped of groceries at Mrs. Tu’s home in Queens. The delivery came at the right time: the new coronavirus pandemic had already taken New York by storm, making routine activities like grocery shopping a hazard particularly for the immuno-compromised and the elderly. Mrs. Tu is in her 80s and is also a Tzu Chi volunteer.
In early March, Tzu Chi volunteers from Tzu Chi’s Greater Washington DC Region watched the threat of COVID-19 rise across the country. They rushed to hold their final food pantry distribution on March 19 - just before stay home orders took place.
At about 1 PM on March 19, Tzu Chi’s Bobbie Rae Jones sat at her computer thinking about a video conference that had just ended. During the Camp Fire Mid- to Long-Term Recovery Program meeting, participants reflected on how the COVID-19 pandemic would impact those still recovering from their socio-economic losses since the Camp Fire.
In March of 2020, Tzu Chi USA announced its efforts to expand the services rendered through the fundraising campaign, "Providing Relief During the New Coronavirus Outbreak," and quickly obtained protective medical supplies to be delivered to frontline medical workers in the USA. On March 19th, Tzu Chi USA delivered medical supplies — including 1,560 N95 respirators and 400 safety goggles — to hospitals and medical centers in Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
For some, the new coronavirus can produce mild to moderate symptoms, including a fever and cough which thankfully clears up within two to three weeks. For others, however — especially older adults and individuals with existing health problems — the virus has the potential to impact one's health in ways that are far more severe, leading to pneumonia or even death.
Following the afternoon drizzle on Sunday, March 29th, 2020, volunteers from Tzu Chi's New York branch were carefully preparing boxes of medical supplies — readying the inventory of essential medical masks donated through Tzu Chi in the past week to be delivered to two hospitals in New York City.
By March 19th, non-essential businesses in Los Angeles County were closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With many Tzu Chi USA staff working from home at this point, a small team of volunteers packed and shipped foods for delivery to the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, known as IDEPSCA.
