Tzu Chi Boston's COVID-19 Relief Efforts: Striving to Flatten the Coronavirus Curve With Love

Under the severe spread of the epidemic in the United States, the Boston Office of the Tzu Chi Foundation packed masks, gloves, alcohol, along with other items into epidemic prevention kits, to be distributed to volunteers with love and blessings. 

With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the United States, Tzu Chi volunteer Emily Xiao, who works at Brigham and Women's Hospital, has witnessed and felt an ever-rising crisis on the frontline of the epidemic.

Hospitals are facing a rising demand for medical protection equipment, such as medical masks. Frontline medical workers are only distributed one medical mask daily. For the health of medical staff,  Brigham and Women’s Hospital began asking for medical masks donations from the public. Upon knowing the need, Tzu Chi's Boston branch reported to the New York headquarter office right away and asked if the medical supplies prepared earlier could be donated to the hospital for backup. A consensus was soon reached to prioritize the health and safety of healthcare workers and to implement the donation immediately. 

Within two days, Tzu Chi Boston delivered 1,000 medical masks and 8 N95 respirators to Brigham Women’s Hospital. Meanwhile, the volunteers also presented Jing Si food products, multi-lingual Jing Si Aphorism books, Tzu Chi Monthly, and bamboo banks as tokens of gratitude to the medical staff.
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On March 25, volunteer Jack Huang and Vickie Chang, on behalf of Tzu Chi Foundation handed over these 1,000 medical masks to the medical staff representatives of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Sandra Abber and Robin Lucia.

On behalf of Brigham and Women’s Hospital nursing department, Sandra Abber and Robin Lucia gratefully received our donation of medical supplies. ​

During the coronavirus outbreak, we are also caring for students in our community.
On March 22nd, 2020, volunteer  CaoZheng ​sent over protective supplies to our five Tzu Chi volunteers, to help our college student volunteers feel safer and comfort their family on the other side of the world. Two of the students were preparing to fly back to their country, so they greatly appreciated the timely package. 

​On March 24th, a parent from Tzu Chi children Kung Fu class shared that two of his colleagues did not have any face mask to wear but had to take public transit on their daily commute. He was very worried about his colleagues’’ health. After hearing that, Tzu Chi volunteers left a package with protective masks in Tzu Chi Foundation’s mailbox for them to pick up, with no human contact involved in the act.

​On March 27, The Director, Hung-Wei Ou, of OCAC (Overseas Community Affairs Council Republic of China (Taiwan),  Mr. Ou reported that an elder Taiwanese currently living by hererself needed some face masks. Tzu Chi volunteers reached out to the elder, sent her a package containing face masks, and helped her to purchase groceries.

​We give our thanks to China Gourmet Restaurant, who has been providing hot food for Tzu chi’s homeless meal distribution. During the epidemic, they are still providing hot food for lower-income families and families who are suffering from cancers. We also would like to thank other business owners who are willing to donate and help even though they have been closing their business because of the shutdown.

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Let’s defend ourselves from the virus with love and transform calamity into peace with kindness. Let’s join our forces in this battle, contributing money and physical strength, as well as anything else at our disposal so that we will ultimately prevail. Those directly affected by the disaster need you. Tzu Chi needs you. Hand in hand, we will fight against the pandemic together! We sincerely ask everyone to make a donation to overcome this pandemic as soon as possible. 

✨Donation link：​https://www.facebook.com/donate/3098269430211122/

Donation Payable to: Tzu Chi
Mailing Address: Tzu Chi Foundation 
15 Summer Street 
Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
If you have any urgent need for assistance, please call Tzu Chi Foundation Boston Service Center
Phone: 617-762-0569
Email: [email protected]