Written by Ariel Tsai
On September 28, 2024, Tzu Chi USA and Listos California held their Family Safety Expo from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry, California. Safety experts gave free seminars on various topics to help families prepare for disasters, enhancing both awareness and resilience.
The event, which was enabled by partnerships with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Fire Foundation, the Asian Youth Center, Southern California Edison, California Clean Air Day, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Global Energy Services, and Just Right Insurance Services, attracted 130 guests who eagerly learned from the safety experts’ presentations on disaster preparedness, fraud recognition and prevention, identity theft, and family and community safety.
Prevention is the best way to reduce losses, so we must help people learn how to respond to natural disasters, improve disaster prevention awareness, understand common fraud techniques, and protect personal information to reduce the harm of financial crimes.
Each organization set up booths to promote their work and educate the Family Safety Expo attendees. There were also thematic lectures and a speaker panel. Guests were given the opportunity to learn about (among many other things) Tzu Chi’s signature emergency shelter system, which is used for Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s disaster relief efforts. There were also home first aid and CPR demonstrations with hands-on training for guests to prepare them in case of the worst happening.
Tzu Chi has long been involved in community emergency relief and assistance, and is also a member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD). This is why the California government joined hands with Tzu Chi to help people better understand the importance of disaster prevention and preparation.
This Expo invited Los Angeles County Police Officer Jose Ruano, LA Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Deputy, and Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Jeff Wilk, Captain of Los Angeles County Fire Department. Florence Lin, Community Public Relations Manager of the Asian Youth Center, gave a lecture on “Family and Community Safety.” Peter Hish, LASD Detective Sergeant of the Los Angeles County Police Department, Robert Piche, an anti-money laundering and fraud expert, and Dr. Derek Hsieh LCSW, PhD, Director of the Coastal Asian Pacific Islander Family Mental Health Clinic lectured on “Digital Fraud and Network Security.” Xiaohua Dai gave a presentation on “Understanding Natural Disasters and Preparing for Disasters.” Aili Xie lectured on “Fraud Identification and Prevention.” Min Xing, a Tzu Chi USA community outreach education specialist, and Los Angeles Department of Public Health representative Joseph Kim taught “Home First Aid and CPR Practice.”
No Limits to Love
Attendees were encouraged by Tzu Chi volunteers to donate their spare change to Tzu Chi’s bamboo banks, which collect the small acts of generosity worldwide into an ocean of kindness great enough to empower Tzu Chi’s charity and disaster relief efforts around the world.
From start to finish, the entire experience proved gainful, joyful, and memorable for all involved. Many were educated on emergency readiness, response, and recovery regarding natural disasters, fraud and identity theft recognition and prevention, and optimal family communication and safety procedures. Many also learned more about plant-based diets and their role in mitigating climate change. Whether it’s family safety, neighborhood safety, or global health and safety, it’s a topic of concern for everyone, and our Family Safety Expos can help the public understand how to proceed safely and effectively when it comes to disaster readiness and response in their communities.
