 Love
in Action |
 |
| A little girl happily holds relief items from Master. |
|
Love
in Action |
|
|
| A little girl happily holds relief items from Master. |
Report from California, USA
Master's Love Blesses
Hurricane Floyd Victims
in North Carolina, U.S.A.
<Los Angeles>Moving
at speeds of up to 175 mph, winds from Hurricane Floyd destroyed many homes
and devastated the areas of Tarboro and Princeville, North Carolina. After the
actual storm surge had passed, floods completed the reign of destruction produced
by Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina, leaving entire towns under water. Upon
hearing news of the disaster, Supreme Master Ching Hai made an urgent call for
volunteers to go to the state to assist in local flood relief efforts, and generously
contributed US $20,000 to fund this humanitarian mission.
Upon their arrival,
members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association immediately
set out for the most devastated areas, Tarboro and Princeville. The nation's
oldest African-American community, Princeville, was completely submerged, and
the water still had not receded. The National Guard was not allowing anyone
into the area because it was too dangerous. Thus, officials could not even begin
to look for those who were missing.
We began at the Tarboro
High School, the most populated shelter in the state, where thousands of people
were temporarily living. We spoke with the public affairs representative of
the local American Red Cross, Ms. Carolyn Danks, and the personnel director
of Edgecombe County, Mr. Mitchell Stensland, who were delighted to learn that
we had come a long way to personally help distribute relief items and to provide
comfort to the victims. Their own volunteers, as well as members of The Supreme
Master Ching Hai International Association, worked side by side to unload a
huge truck filled with emergency supplies that included water, towels, blankets,
food, etc. We then distributed the relief items to the flood victims, who more
than anything else, accepted Master's love into their hearts. We had also brought
toys for the children that the Red Cross volunteers were overjoyed to see, since
they had been waiting for a shipment that had not yet arrived.
It was touching to find
that some of the volunteers' own homes were under water, yet they were reaching
out to help their community and neighbors. They said that it was a way of healing
for them. The public affairs representative said that it was wonderful to learn
of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, which has the same
noble ideals as the Red Cross, namely, to help others in need regardless of
nationality, religion or background. They said they would include us in their
newsletter to share information about our humanitarian work. We told them that
Master puts what She teaches into action and this inspires us to follow Her
example. Master's compassion and generosity caught the attention of NBC News
as well. They interviewed members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association and captured footage of our humanitarian work. Mr. Stensland asked
for a sample booklet and our News magazine to gather information on our philanthropic
activities for an article in The Daily Southerner, a local newspaper.
Next, we brought emergency
supplies to the Edgecombe County Rescue Squad facility, where many victims also
had come to receive relief supplies. We delivered a truckload of supplies filled
with warm clothing and canned food items. The Rescue Squad members were very
grateful since their supplies were running low. The rescue team members told
us of heartbreaking events that had occurred during the flooding, such as one
rescue where they had to cut a roof open and 20 people crawled out from the
attic because the water level had risen too quickly for them to escape by any
other means. There was another story of a couple who, along with their two children,
had lost everything and were sleeping on a bare cement floor with only a thin
sheet. The Rescue Squad members inquired about our organization, saying that
Edgecombe County wanted to thank The Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association in its newsletter. We shared with them our Master's teachings that
whatever we have we must share with others because we are all brothers and sisters
in one big universal family.
Our last destination
was Ebenezer Baptist Church. Although the residents of the area near the Church
had been allowed to return to their homes, they were out of food. It was clear
to us that Master had sent us to help them. The people were extremely happy
to receive the canned goods that we brought, as their shelves were practically
empty. We also brought them new clothes and water, since their belongings had
been destroyed in the floods and the water system still had not been restored.
The reverends, deacons, and victims warmly welcomed us into their church and
hearts, and truly appreciated Supreme Master Ching Hai's generous help. Reverend
Glenn Silver said it was touching to receive love and care from faraway places
and that it was truly a blessing from God.
Supreme Master Ching
Hai's love helped to mend the hearts of the victims and gave those who had lost
their homes and loved ones the strength to begin rebuilding their lives. It
was truly touching to see the tears of joy in their eyes and the bright smiles
on their faces upon receiving Master's love. Many people told us that they would
always remember the human warmth and kindness of Supreme Master Ching Hai, a
person who, although She had never met them, had helped them in their time of
urgent need. When we left, it was a beautiful day filled with sunshine and brightened
even more by the smiles on the faces of those who had been touched by Master's
love. 
 Acknowledgements from the American Red Cross, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Edgecombe County Rescue Squad after receiving relief items from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. |
 Representative of the American Red Cross, Ms. Carolyn Danks (right), American Red Cross Volunteer (second left) and the Supreme Master Ching Hai rescue team. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mexican
Hurricane Disaster Relief