Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

In Canada, 2.85 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 30,000 people have died. Each day in January there were than 100,000 new cases, and restaurants were banned from indoor dining. This made the plight of the homeless even worse. Because of this, Tzu Chi volunteers in Toronto, Canada distributed hot food to 160 homeless and low-income households.

They endured water of 9.3° Celsius to wash vegetables. Their fingers were all red and cold, but their moves were quick. They cut broccoli into a proper size and prepared all the ingredients carefully. Before long, they had cooked many delicious Taiwanese dishes like deep-fried tofu with sweet peppers and pineapple, and golden crispy fried spring rolls.

The outdoor temperature was -13 Celsius. Volunteers tried their best to keep the food warm when it was delivered to the Gospel Church, where they served the meals. The staff of Gospel Church care about the life of the homeless as much as Tzu Chi volunteers. One church staff member said: "If anyone in line has a cold, we'll buy them hats and gloves or dried clothes they might need to help them.”

The church staff and Tzu Chi volunteers made every effort to help all the attendees have a happy and heart-warming meal. Everyone sat around the table and enjoyed the meal. To give their blessings to everyone, volunteers did a graceful performance using sign language. In a joyful mood, a grandmother could not help but touch the cheek of a Tzu Chi volunteer. Each felt the warmth of the other without any words.

That night, January 17, after the meal service, the biggest snowstorm of the past 30 years began. Those who had eaten the hot meal had received more energy to survive this harsh winter.

Lighting a lamp in a dark corner and giving warmth in the bitter winter show how Tzu Chi volunteers practice compassion and wisdom. They wish all sentient beings to be free from suffering and the world to be full of joy. They do not know what is greatness, but they know pure and unconditional great love.