【Sichuan Earthquake, Tzu Chi Disaster Relief Donation】
On April 20th, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7 hit YA'AN of Sichuan Province in China, killing at least 157 people and injured close to 6,000. Within 24 hours, Tzu Chi already prepared 10 thousand blankets and ten thousand survival kits for emergency. Meanwhile, Tzu Chi volunteers in Sichuan are ready to be deployed for relief operation. The first Tzu Chi assessment team already arrived at Ming-Shan City, about one and half hour of distance from the disaster area. Tzu Chi have helped build thirteen schools in Sichuan after the 2008 earthquake, still continuing to provide help and support to recovery as of today. Besides school building project, Tzu Chi brought in volunteers’ nonstop care and love, giving people hope and strength to stand up. Now that Sichuan has another earthquake, Tzu Chi is committed to take prompt and direct action to conduct relief. Tzu Chi kicks off disaster relief donation campaign to bring love around the world to the disaster area. Your help is sincerely appreciated. Donation website:
- Sichuan Earthquake
- About Northwest Region
HUGE QUAKE DEVASTATES CHINA
TZU CHI BEGINS RELIEF EFFORTS
On April 20, 2013, an earthquake measured at magnitude 7.0 struck Lushan county, Sichuan Province, China, shortly after 8 a.m., leaving at least 156 people killed and thousands more injured. In that evening, Tzu Chi US Headquarters immediately called its regional directors in the United States for a meeting, discussing on fund raising drives for relief purposes.
Immediately after the quake hit, Tzu Chi has urgently set up a disaster relief coordination center in Sichuan, prepared relief materials and begun relief efforts. In the night of 20th, a group of volunteers entered the severely hit Mingshan County and distributed bread, blankets, etc. to 400-plus students in the Mingshan First Middle School. With 10,000 blankets and 10,000 daily necessity kits ready, Tzu Chi volunteers further advanced to the heavily damaged area on the next day (April 21), and will carry out emergency distribution at any time.
After a huge quake devastated Sichuan in 2008, Tzu Chi has cared for the disaster areas ever since. Tzu Chi helps to rebuild 13 schools in the cities of Chengdu, Deyan, Mienyan and Ya’an. The two schools that Tzu Chi built in Mingshan, Ya’an, are the Advance Tzu Chi Elementary School and the Mingshan First Middle School.
When the earthquake hit on 20th, a regional sports meet was in progress in the Mingshan First Middle School. Over 1,000 students and athletes were immediately evacuated. Yet more than a hundred athletes were unable to go home due to traffic interruption and are temporarily staying in the school.
Tzu Chi volunteers brought them bread as well as heart-warming care, which is a great comfort to those students still shaken by the earthquake. Tzu Chi disaster relief coordination center has 10,000 blankets ready as well as toothbrush, toothpaste, towels and other daily necessities. Another group of volunteers will enter one of the most heavily damaged areas for disaster assessment, in order to provide immediate and practical care and assistance.
Tzu Chi volunteers around the United Stated are encouraging their friends, families and colleagues to send love to those affected by the earthquake and contribute whatever they can. On April 27 & 28, the volunteers will also do fundraisings on the streets or in shopping malls. Details on the fundraising locations in your community, please call 909-447-7799 or visit Tzu Chi website www.us.tzuchi.org
For donation information or credit card donation, please visit Tzu Chi website or call (888) 989-8244 (1.888.9TZUCHI). For check donation, please make the check payable to “Tzu Chi” and mail to: 1100 S. Valley Center Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773
The most updated relief information can be found on Tzu Chi website or Facebook page.
Website: www.us.tzuchi.org
Tzu Chi Facebook: www.facebook.com/SichuanEarthquake420.
For more information on press release, please contact Cathy Su call 909-447-7799 ext.682.
The Tzu Chi Northwest Regional Office was established in 1993. As more Tzu Chi supporters joined our efforts, the scope of our services also expanded to meet the growing demands of our communities. To further reach out to relieve the suffering around us with concrete actions, new infrastructure was deemed necessary. A new Tzu Chi building enables us to consolidate our charitable resources and create plans to launch long-term development endeavors in the Silicon Valley.
The current focus of Tzu Chi Northern California Chapter is Charity, Medicine, Education, Humanitarian Culture, Environmental Protection, and Emergency Relief. The goal is to invite local volunteers involvements for globalization.
