Tzu Chi volunteers were one of the first responders in the Jiji earthquake ( known in Taiwan as the 921 earthquake ) of 1999 , mobilizing within 2 hours to provide thousands of sets of food and relief supplies to victims . The volunteers followed a strict system of organization where commissioners and teams of volunteers were assigned to specific townships , and teams were assigned to specific areas within the townships . This organizational structure was what allowed the volunteers to be mobilized so quickly and efficiently . The earthquake prompted Cheng Yen to start " Project Hope " , a long term project to rebuild 51 schools for those effected by the disaster . Tzu Chi raised more relief funds for the earthquake than any other religious organization in Taiwan , raising nearly sixty times as much funds for the relief effort than the next largest fund raiser , Fo Guang Shan . The 921 earthquake was credited for prompting Tzu Chi to create a disaster relief coordination center at its headquarters to organize quicker disaster response services
Jiji earthquake
1999 Jiji earthquake
Tzu Chi