Written by Yulin Hua, Andy Chiang, Tzu-Chien Hsu
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Adriana DiBenedetto
Tzu Chi USA’s Northwest Region held a Family Safety Expo in collaboration with Listos California at the Tzu Chi USA’s Northwest Region in San Jose, California, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Here, diverse government agencies and social welfare organizations in Silicon Valley assembled hand in hand to provide crucial disaster prevention and response information to enhance both awareness and resilience.
The event, co-organized by the National Taiwan University Alumni Association of Northern California (NTUAA), Northern California Compassion Association- Cupertino, Joint Alumni Association Of Chinese Universities And Colleges In Northern California (JAACUC), Northern California Compassion Association – Cupertino Branch, AH Life Foundation, Taiwan Benevolent Association of San Jose (TBASJ), Chinese Seniors United Association of Northern California, and the Association of Northern California Chinese Schools, attracted 475 interested guests who were eager to learn practical information about family safety through panel discussions and exchanges with experts, as well as through booths set up by various organizations.
Lifting up Emergency Preparedness & Safety
Tzu Chi USA’s Northwest Region has been active in its care for the community since its establishment in 1993. In 2024, it hosted its very first Family Safety Expo to empower the public with vital informational resources and boost awareness for inclusive safety tips. The Family Safety Expo was a full-day event, including two morning panel discussions and four afternoon keynote speeches. In addition to family emergency preparedness for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and wildfires, the event also focused on raising awareness for domestic disasters such as shootings, telecommunications fraud, and cyber attacks. California state, county, and municipal government agencies related to security and prevention additionally participated in the Expo, alongside multiple teams from community organizations to promote safety education.
Ming-Chi Scott Lai, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco, expressed his gratitude to Tzu Chi for mobilizing the goodwill of local residents to raise funds for Hualien earthquake survivors and for organizing this Expo to help the public’s disaster preparedness. TECO has held a strong relationship with Tzu Chi for several years, and looks forward to more opportunities to provide services to inspire compassion and collaboration among people.
“This event is a very good model for cooperation, which, bolstered by Tzu Chi’s good deeds, was achieved through the unity of several local organizations,” Director General Lai said. “I think this is something that should be carried forward in the future, so that Tzu Chi’s four major missions of charity, medical, education, and humanistic culture can be seen by more people in all corners of the world.”
Multifaceted Sharing & Interactive Lectures
Co-organizers and partner organizations advocate for disaster prevention and safety education through lectures and booths. Photo/CM Yung, Andy Chiang
Yushu Chuang, Director of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) in San Francisco, said that whether it’s family safety, neighborhood safety, or global health and safety, it’s a topic of concern for everyone, and this Expo can help communities understand how to proceed safely and effectively when it comes to disaster prevention and response in their local neighborhood.
OCAC in San Francisco and Tzu Chi invited six major Chinese associations in the Bay Area to co-sponsor the Family Safety Expo, a joint effort to combine private resources with mainstream government resources to help make our community safer.
Local medical and emergency relief organizations in Northern California also joined the Expo as partners, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the San Jose Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE), Santa Clara Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Santa Clara County), El Camino Health, American Red Cross, New Hope Chinese Cancer Care, and other groups. Each organization set up booths to provide health or disaster prevention-related information and interactive activities for the public to get detailed information and answers. The San Jose Fire Department even brought a fire truck to the site for event attendees to visit and ask questions.
Nancy Lieu, a Certified Crisis Counselor with CERT, shared how to rebuild psychologically after a disaster, and how people can implement what they learned about disaster response measures in their lives. When describing the mission of CERT to the assembled group, Lieu explained that when a disaster occurs, CERT plays a supportive role at the relief scene after the first-line responders complete their emergency response.
CERT needs to provide support services for life-saving and property protection efforts, which is very important.
Lieu further shared that disaster preparedness needed to take different kinds of disasters into account. One example provided by Lieu was that the first thing many people do when they experience an earthquake is to run, but when it comes to earthquakes, that is not always the safest option. Instead, it is safer to drop, cover, and hold on in an earthquake. Lieu was grateful that this event allowed this information and more to be more widely known, especially since the event was conducted in Chinese, allowing the Chinese-American community, with which CERT usually has less contact, to obtain such crucial information.
Innovations That Benefit the Planet
Dr. Shenglun Tsai, Director General of Jing Si Technology in Taiwan, participated in the Multi-Faith Leader Climate Resilience Roundtable held at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. on April 17, where Tzu Chi’s Jing Si furniture system was on display. After the conference, he traveled to Tzu Chi USA’s Northwest Region on April 28 to participate in the Family Safety Expo.
Dr. Tsai shared that Tzu Chi has been involved in international disaster relief for decades, and has developed a complete eco-furniture system to help support the immediate needs of disaster survivors, including Jing Si beds, tables, chairs, and eco-friendly partition tents. He explained the background, research, and development of Jing Si partition tents with flame retardant features among volunteers and attendees in detail. Everything from the height, width, activity space, material, color, and more were all deeply considered.
Dr. Tsai also shared the latest developments in the Jing Si line. Now included in the furniture series are environmentally friendly mosquito nets and portable, stackable storage cabinets. The cabinet also transforms into a suitcase for easy transport.
With this opportunity to showcase Tzu Chi’s new generation of Jing Si furniture, we hope that more people can benefit, so that the inventions of Master Cheng Yen’s compassion and wisdom can be promoted globally.
Committed to Preparation in All Matters
Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region’s volunteer team had been planning the Family Safety Expo since February. During the process, volunteers brainstormed to produce easy-to-understand posters so visitors could quickly view and remember key details.
Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region volunteers begin preparing for the event two months in advance. Photo/Joy Chen
On the day of the Expo, Tzu Chi volunteers provided 600 vegetarian meals, fruits, and snacks for the attendees, promoting the concept of environmental protection through exploring vegan and vegetarian alternatives. In addition, Tzu Chi’s environmental volunteer team prepared a number of on-site activities, including recycling tips, and explaining the concepts behind various items developed by DA.AI Technology.
“We hope to display the production process of the DA.AI eco-blanket in our San Francisco Consulate Hall so that the concept of environmental protection can be showcased in more venues,” TECO San Francisco Director General Ming-Chi Scott Lai told volunteers.
Tzu Chi volunteer Arthur Chih said that the feedback from the public was very positive, sharing, “About 400 to 500 people attended the Expo today, which was a great success. Everyone found the content of the program to be highly helpful. The information shared by each organization was all relevant to daily life.” Chih further stated, “The success of this event was made possible thanks to the dedication of every Tzu Chi volunteer over the past two months, who helped prepare for the event with great care and attention to detail.”
The Family Safety Expo, held in collaboration with community organizations, provided valuable information that helped individuals and families deepen their understanding of disaster prevention and response and build a more complete foundation in the face of environmental and domestic tragedies so that safety and teamwork can be implemented in every daily routine in the Silicon Valley community. Together, we can go even further to ensure the wellness of all people.
