FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Dimas, CA, April 26, 2024—Following the deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan on April 3, 2024, disaster relief innovations deployed by Tzu Chi have garnered international attention. Here to unveil Tzu Chi’s latest disaster relief products in North America is Marshall Siao, Director of Jing Si 6R Technology. On Sunday, April 28, 2024, from 2-4:30 pm, he will be at the Tzu Chi USA National Headquarters (1100 S Valley Center Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773) alongside Chief Executive Officer Debra Boudreaux to demo the complete Jing Si Furniture System to partners in relief as well as to the general public.
Having made its international debut on April 17, 2024, at FEMA National Headquarters in Washington, the complete Jing Si Furniture System contains seven key components, including:
- Collapsible privacy partition (with an open top and zippered door)
- Jing Si multi-purpose folding beds (made from mold-resistant plastic and which may be converted into tabletop and various seating)
- DA.AI Technology eco-blankets (whose fabric is made from exactly 70 recycled PET bottles)
- fully enclosable mosquito nets (made from a naturally insect-repellent fabric of 20 recycled PET bottles and may accommodate a ‘queen-size’ sleeping area of up to two folding beds)
- Jing Si cabinets (these storage units help organize and secure personal belongings and are equipped with wheels and retractable handles for portability; they may also be vertically stacked to make efficient use of limited space)
On top of all this, all items have been manufactured using recycled PET bottles. As upcycled products, they tackle the environmental problems posed by single-use plastics by offering them a second life—and a meaningful one at that.
It took us a long time to develop a complete system. This is all the ideas of Master [Cheng Yen] of having a complete system, with more privacy, more dignity, and more empowerment to the disaster relief people.
Indeed, spawned from witnessing the cramped and difficult conditions many survivors experienced after being displaced by disasters globally, Tzu Chi’s founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, spearheaded the development of Jing Si furniture. With the help of skilled professionals in manufacturing, she guided the design process to meet both practical and psychological needs. With Master’s support, patents were secured, and production commenced in Taiwan.
Upon presentation at the Multi-Faith Leader Climate Resilience Roundtable convened at FEMA Headquarters last week, attendees reacted with excitement and awe at the thoughtfulness and practicality of specific pieces:
Just think: storage is so needed during a disaster for people, whether it’s wildfires when they start sifting through and they need something that has a lid that they can take their supplies in.
ou know, mosquitos are the deadliest animal on the planet. And so to be able to provide mosquito nets to give people a restful night’s sleep where they don’t have fear of, you know, being bitten or disease is pretty special.
Overall, however, it is the care for people’s dignity, privacy, and comfort that appears to have stood out most to fellow partners in relief:
Anybody who’s been driven from their home and needs someplace to feel like they’re a human, this feels dignified compared to just sleeping on the ground, like throwing a blanket over yourself… so many people when they’ve been driven from their home to just have some sense of dignity, it’s really, really meaningful.
See more about the system in this video and attend our demonstration:
- Time/Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024 @ 2-4:30 pm
- Location: Tzu Chi USA National Headquarters, 1100 S Valley Center Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773
- RSVP: not required; attendance is free
Learn more about Tzu Chi USA: https://tzuchi.us
About Tzu Chi USA
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is a global non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1966 by a Buddhist nun named Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan. Its missions of medicine, charity, education, and humanistic culture have brought relief to 128 countries and counting. In 1989, Tzu Chi USA was established and now has 65 offices across the US. The heart of Tzu Chi is embedded in its name: in Chinese, “tzu” means compassion and “chi,” relief.
Press contact: Anik Ghose
Phone: 909-447-7799 x6572
Email: [email protected]
