New
York Newsday
September 25, 2001 (Originally in English) |
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| Members
of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association prepare
free hot vegetarian meals for rescue workers at Ground Zero. (Photo
by John Thomas) |
A house in Forest Hills
has become headquarters for The Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association Rescue Team. The group has provided free hot vegetarian
meals to rescue workers at Ground Zero since September 13.
Pallets
of fresh vegetables, fruit, coffee and juice crowd the front lawn of
50-year old Yengjen Chen. Portable bathrooms line the side of her house,
and backyard tents act as makeshift kitchens, where meals are prepared
and packaged. A steady stream of vans brings groceries and transports
meal packs and workers to two food stands the group operates 24 hours
a day at the rescue area's edge.
A
computer command center is set up on the house's second floor. From
there, members communicate with the Supreme Master Ching Hai, leader
of this global meditation organization that has collected more than
$300,000 from its membership since the 9-11 event. Most of the money
has been donated to the Red Cross and Salvation Army. It was at Supreme
Master Ching Hai's behest that members drove from as far away as North
Carolina to be involved in the relief effort.
Chen's
daughters, Alice, 15, and Audrey, 14, assist by cleaning and answering
phones. Chen sees her daughters' involvement as part of the healing
process.
"They
are shocked and very sad," Chen said, of her daughter's reactions
to the 9-11 event. "Friends of theirs had parents who died. By
helping in this work, they feel better."
"Our
hearts and our love go to the victims," said Zhihua Dong, 36, of
Brooklyn, director of the relief effort. "We are brothers and sisters
together, the whole Earth," said Huanchung Li, 49, of Boston, another
organizer.
Members
of the rescue team work in 12-hour shifts, pausing only for group meditation
sessions. New members continue to arrive; Li estimates
that their number will soon rise to 100.
