Reports on the 911 disaster-related relief work

The commander of the New York Salvation Army, Major Carl L. Schoch, accepts our cash contribution with delightful surprise, as he knows about Master's concern for the victims.	Madam Michelle Mulia-Howell from the New York Red Cross receives a contribution from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and takes a photo with fellow practitioners.

[New York] The New York Center was divided into many groups to visit hospitals and deliver food for volunteers at the disaster site:

1) Hospital Group:
Volunteer initiates prepared clothing, socks, gifts and other supplies to distribute at the Israel Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, New York University Hospital, and Saint Vincent Hospital.

The patients, volunteers and firefighters injured during the rescue activities were very thankful and happy about our group's visit. Upon receiving our gifts, they were touched and our gesture of love comforted their hearts. One firefighter especially asked his family members to remove his oxygen mask in order to thank us directly. It was a very touching moment. Conversely, we were touched by the firefighters' heroic efforts and felt their pain as we saw them lying in their hospital beds. We tried to comfort them by holding their hands, talking to them, and listening to them. By reaching out our humble hands, we learned a great lesson of love.

2) Food Groups:
When we broke through many barriers and got close to the disaster site 24 hours after the attack occurred, a heavy downpour began, and although it killed the smoke outside, there were still fires burning inside the rubble, so there was still smoke everywhere. The place had a terrible smell, being a mixture of everything that was burning inside the buildings, and a layer of ash about one inch thick covered the surrounding area.

Wearing Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association uniforms-yellow vests-we set up two separate booths and hung banners reading "The Supreme Master Ching Hai Rescue Team" near the World Trade Center collapse site, and have prepared hundreds of veggie lunch boxes and sandwiches, as well as fruit, hot coffee and other drinks, as the quantity of food demanded at the disaster site has increased each day. We have gotten to know many of the volunteers working day and night without rest, and they have very much appreciated our Chinese food, saying that it is the best food they have tasted over the previous few days. We drove a food van around the disaster site, so that we were able to reach the most dangerous areas, including buildings that were tilted and about to collapse, where no food services were available. Most of the places we visited did not have any food and drink services. Therefore, we jokingly called our van "The Ching Hai Mobile Canteen."

Previous Page

Next Page

 

Related Articles- Pearls of Wisdom

Be Reconciled with Your Enemy

Loving Our Enemy is Loving Ourselves