Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

On March 16 and 17,Tzu Chi volunteers in Japan delivered hot meals to the survivors of the country's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, feeding nearly 1,000 people per day in a town on the east coast of Japan. The town was devastated by the tsunami caused by the quake and many residents have been unable to return home.

Oarai is a town of 20,000 people in Ibaraki prefecture, 130 kilometers north of Tokyo, on the Pacific Ocean. It felt the full force of the tsunami, which flooded fields, houses, shops and factories and left the town covered in mud. The people in Oarai have no water or gas and are short of most goods. They cannot prepare hot meals for themselves.

On March 16, a team of 18 volunteersdrove from Tokyo to Oarai to serve curry rice. With the distribution set for 12.30 p.m., the residents began queuing up at 11.30 a.m at the town's community center; despite the cold weather, they were calm and orderly. Before the distribution, volunteer Chen Jinfa spoke on behalf of the foundation; he expressed the concern of Master Cheng Yen and the blessings of Tzu Chi volunteers around the world and then led everyone present in a song and a prayer. The song and prayer warmed the hearts of everyone on a cold day. Everyone present wasvery moved and some wept.

The Tzu Chi chapter in Tokyo continues to assist tourists without accommodation and people who lost contact with family members in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. To contact Tzu Chi chapter in Tokyo for assistance, please call 81-3-3203-5653 or send an email to [email protected]

Tzu Chi volunteers around the world feel the pain of the suffering people in Japan. Besides Japan, 22 countries, such as the United States, England, France, the Philippines, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, etc. participated in Tzu Chi's global fundraising campaign to support and pray for the people in Japan.

In the City of Marikina in the Philippines, Tzu Chi volunteers invited government officials in the City Hall to pray for and fundraise for the people in Japan. The Mayor of Marikina City expressed that when they were devastated by Typhoon Ketsana, people from around the world helped them. Therefore, now they are giving back to help others in need and to send their blessings to the people in Japan.

Tzu Chi USA initiated a street fundraising campaign on March 13 at approximately 200 locations across the United States. Tzu Chi will continue its street fundraising campaign this upcoming weekend in hundreds of locations across the U.S. Tzu Chi is grateful to all the vendors and individuals for their support of its relief and fundraising efforts.