Written by Ida Eva Zielinska
A powerful early December 2025 storm pattern drove flooding and widespread impacts across western Washington State. Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region’s Seattle Branch mobilized quickly to assess needs and support evacuees through shelter visits and field outreach. Tzu Chi Seattle volunteers returned to shelter sites multiple times, distributed emergency supplies and Tzu Chi eco-blankets, traveled to hard-hit communities, and helped flood-affected residents navigate immediate needs.
At the same time, the team was preparing for the next phase of relief: cash card distributions. On Christmas Eve, December 24, Tzu Chi Seattle volunteers set aside personal holiday plans to assist flood survivors and began the first wave of cash card relief visits across four locations.
The team reached Concrete, Mount Vernon, and Marblemount in Skagit County and also visited evacuees at a hotel in Mukilteo in Snohomish County in coordination with the American Red Cross. Stops ranged from temporary lodging and community-based locations to individual home visits. Some stops were follow-ups with residents the team had already met; for those survivors, the team’s return with tangible support brought visible relief.
Along with financial assistance, volunteers brought Tzu Chi eco-blankets in reusable eco-bags, eco-scarves, and holiday treats. They offered bamboo banks as an invitation to give back when recipients were able, and read a message of encouragement from Master Cheng Yen, a familiar part of Tzu Chi distributions that brings comfort at a difficult moment.
As survivors shared how the flooding disrupted their lives, the visits became more than a delivery of aid. The combination of practical support and a steady volunteer presence helped brighten what might otherwise have been a bleaker Christmas in the aftermath of flood-related losses. Words of thanks, holiday wishes, and shared smiles made the gratitude tangible on both sides, offering encouragement for the long road to recovery ahead.
Returning to Monroe for Cash Card Relief
The Tzu Chi Seattle team had supported evacuees at the American Red Cross shelter site at Evergreen State Fair Park in Monroe, Snohomish County, through multiple visits earlier in December. Along with distributing Tzu Chi eco-blankets, volunteers helped people complete intake and aid applications, and Tzu Chi’s Da Ai Children’s Care Team engaged children through games and simple activities to bring comfort during a difficult time. On December 27, the team returned to Monroe to provide cash card assistance.
Throughout the day, the volunteers did their best to console disaster survivors as they shared their trauma and losses. “I lost everything in the flood. I appreciate all the help and may God bless your souls,” Wayne, a care recipient, said. The appreciation was felt on both sides, as the volunteers, too, were thankful they could be there to support those affected by the flooding in their time of need.
Volunteers also shared how Tzu Chi began with daily donations from 30 women, placed in simple bamboo coin banks to build a fund to help those in need in Hualien, Taiwan, where the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation was established by Dharma Master Cheng Yen. The story inspired many care recipients to take a bamboo bank home and continue the tradition, paying the love they received forward.
After hearing Master Cheng Yen’s words of encouragement, some were visibly moved. Kelly, whose partner could not hold back his tears, was eager to learn more about the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Reading about Tzu Chi and its “compassion in action” mission, embedded in the organization’s very name – as Tzu means compassion and Chi means relief in Chinese – she later asked to take a picture with the volunteers beside the poster she read, which featured a photograph of Master Cheng Yen, moved by the story of how Master Cheng Yen founded the organization to help people in need.
It touched my heart in a big way. I'm not used to feeling so much compassion when I hear stories, but this is a story of pure compassion.
“It took out my cabin, my car. And basically my whole life. It’s been a difficult time for me,” Stacia Marie Mossuto said during the Monroe cash card distribution, where she thanked the Tzu Chi team and presented a card she had written.
Mossuto shared that she first encountered the Tzu Chi team at the American Red Cross shelter after she drove by, saw the Red Cross sign, and decided to stop and see what was going on. “And then you arrived the next day with these incredible blankets. I love the blankets! You’ve been here, giving us support, bringing us gifts, and just encouragement. And you are here today, thankfully, so I can give you your thank you card,” she said.
To the beautiful people of Tzu Chi, Thank you for your words of strength and inspiration. You truly have helped me. Thankful, I am
Reaching Remote Communities With Direct Relief
On December 28, the team shifted from the multi-household distribution setup back to on-the-road outreach, traveling to Marblemount, Concrete, and Hamilton in Skagit County for home visits and community shelter stops. Throughout the relief mission, volunteers had heard how quickly the flooding upended daily life, leaving some families displaced and facing extensive damage as they tried to figure out next steps. That day, those accounts came into sharper focus as the team moved through disaster-impacted areas and saw firsthand the conditions survivors had been describing.
Reaching care recipients in remote areas, however, meant working around access restrictions tied to flood damage, including washed-out roads that made some routes impassable and forced detours. Even so, they stayed focused on delivering support directly, navigating not only difficult road conditions but also long hours of winter travel in a crowded vehicle.
Near Marblemount, volunteers visited a care recipient at his rural property, where tarps and temporary canopies covered parts of the living area and storm debris still littered the gravel yard. He was touched by the visit and by learning that Tzu Chi relief grows from everyday people around the world, as small offerings, even spare coins saved in bamboo banks, add up over time. With a long recovery ahead, the visit and that story left him feeling less alone and more hopeful about the days to come.
I really felt a warm heart to have these visitors from Tzu Chi. That means a million for me. It gives me the force to rebuild this place. Thank you. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Near Concrete, volunteers met with a family – a couple and their adult son – whose home sustained significant flood impacts as they worked to figure out next steps. “We’re greatly appreciative of all the support that you provide to the flood victims. As you can see, our house sustained a lot of damage and it’s going to take a long time and a lot of money to recover. And this is going to help us get a jump start on the process,” the mother said.
The family shared that they were currently staying at the First Baptist Church in Hamilton. “They have said that we could stay as long as we need, but they are interested in trying to find out when we can get back,” the father added. Facing so much uncertainty, the family was taken aback by the visit and the tangible support it brought: financial assistance, along with warm Tzu Chi eco-blankets and scarves that volunteers gently draped around their shoulders.
I’m humbled just to know that there are so many people that are going to help. And words really can’t describe my gratitude for your help today. You’re doing a really good thing here and I thank you very much.
The team next went to the First Baptist Church in Hamilton, where they provided cash cards to Carla and John, two care recipients impacted by the flooding.
I would like to say thank you to all the volunteers in your organization. I’m honestly touched by the generosity of people I don’t even know. I’m just in shock. I can’t tell you how much this means to me and my family and how grateful we are for that. I will do my best to keep passing blessings on to other people as well.
Through phone interviews in advance, the volunteers had already gained a clearer picture of individual care recipient needs. Carla, who lives in a mobile home, had shared that the area where it was parked was covered in mud and debris. She urgently needed manpower and resources for cleanup and hauling. The cash card would help with that.
Carla was amazed that the team came all the way to their remote community. “It’s just amazing that you can show up in our little town when we’re going through this devastation, you know. And here you are! It’s like, ‘Where did you come from?’ It’s awesome. It’s so appreciated. We’re so grateful,” she exclaimed.
“In these little towns, people ask, ‘Why do you live there? Why don’t you leave?’ We can’t afford to leave, we have to live where we can afford to live, so this is why we live here,” she added, truly thankful that the team had included this remote community in their relief plans.
Walking Alongside Survivors Into 2026
As recovery from the December 2025 flooding moved into the new year, King County Emergency Management opened Disaster Assistance Centers where affected residents could get in-person support, including guidance on potential financial help, what documentation to prepare, and how to apply for Washington State’s Individual Assistance program, along with other available resources.
A center was established in Auburn on January 2 and 3, 2026, followed by one in Issaquah on January 4 and one in Carnation on January 5. Tzu Chi Seattle volunteers were also on site to offer care, answer questions, and guide eligible residents through the aid application steps.
From the first days of heavy rain and emergency evacuations in early December 2025 through early January 2026, Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region’s Seattle Branch volunteers remained present in flood-affected communities. Alongside assessments, shelter support, and cash card relief, they offered something equally vital: human warmth, patient listening, and gentle care that helped survivors feel less alone as they began to regain their footing in the aftermath of the storm.
Through your love and care, you can support disaster relief missions such as this, as well as the full range of Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region’s activities, helping volunteers bring timely assistance that responds to individual and community needs as they arise.
