Each day, there are hungry children, elderly people, and the vulnerable who need to be nurtured and supported emotionally.
Tzu Chi’s Northeast Region (TCNY) is one of the nine regional offices of Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation in the USA, and is located in New York City. TCNY has five service centers, in Boston, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Since 1991, TCNY has served local communities throughout the Tri-State area and New England, with the dedication of 50,000 supporters and 2,000 volunteers.
Relief in times of crisis, care when needed.
Wherever there is a need, Tzu Chi is there to give immediate and practical help, whether it's a major natural disaster or a personal crisis . After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Tzu Chi was the first organization to provide cash relief assistance to the victims’ families: A total of $2.8 million was distributed to more than 3,000 families. When Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast in 2012, Tzu Chi was not only one of the first few groups to be at the disaster areas to hand out hot soup and warm blankets, but also provided $10 million in cash relief in the following months.
Each day, there are hungry children, elderly people, and the vulnerable who need to be nurtured and supported emotionally. When it comes to providing relief aid and social services, Master Cheng Yen teaches us that when we help others, we should always remember gratitude, respect and love. Thus, our local programs are designed to incorporate this teaching. For more than 25 years, we have collaborated with local government and organizations (e.g. Department of Education, Red Cross, PS 201, Walgreens, Nursing homes, Food Banks) to provide various service and educational programs to our neighbors. Programs such as ESL (English as Second Language) classes; VITA ; Home Fire Preparedness Campaign; Happy Campus; SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); annual Tzu Chi Good Health Day; weekly hot meal services; Student Scholarships and financial aid; and spiritual care for individuals and families who are experiencing hardship; are just a few of examples of the ways in which Tzu Chi volunteers express their love and care.