Reports on Relief Activities for the 911 Disaster
in the United States (1)

News 126, Love in Action

Rescue workers at the disaster site are enthralled by the Chinese food prepared by fellow practitioners, which they proclaim to be the most delicious food that they have tasted over the past few days.

On that date, the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia were attacked by hijacked airplanes, and another plane was hijacked and destroyed in Pennsylvania. These catastrophes not only shocked the world, but also had a tremendous emotional impact on all of humankind. On learning news of these unfortunate events, Master immediately called all the centers in the vicinity of the affected areas, instructing fellow practitioners to quickly set up relief teams. Her gentle but concerned voice awakened all the fellow disciples on the east coast. She made emergency phone calls to each of these centers, touching and calming all panicky hearts, and linking the fellow practitioners together. As a result, the relief work was launched smoothly and efficiently.

Master also issued an e-mail expressing Her sorrow to all centers around the world, as well as a request of love to all fellow practitioners: "In addition to providing material assistance, all centers should gather for group prayer and meditation, so that mankind may understand each other through more peaceful ways."

Fellow practitioners set up a loving-support booth near "ground zero" of the disaster, providing meals and hot drinks to rescue workers laboring hard around the clock.

Upon receiving Master's instructions, centers near the affected areas immediately launched relief efforts that included visiting and comforting victims in hospitals, offering blood donations, making financial contributions, providing for the material needs of rescue workers at the disaster sites, and offering mobile phones to facilitate communications. At the same time, fellow practitioners also launched worldwide relief activities, including collecting financial contributions, and conducting prayer-cum-meditation sessions, in hopes that their intense meditation could bring positive power and peace to the world, and promote mutual understanding among humans, so that no such violence would ever happen again. On the other hand, in response to the physical needs of victims, many centers began collecting contributions, and fellow practitioners throughout Formosa earnestly responded to this effort.

Being at the forefront of the disasters that have recently caused serious casualties and shocked the whole world, the New York and Virginia Centers have each set up a relief center on Master's instructions, with all the nearby centers, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Boston, Houston, Kentucky and others, coming to help.

Master's reminder about emergency rescue activities
for the "911 disaster" in the U.S.A.

September 11, 2001 I've called many nearby centers around Washington D.C. and New York for emergency rescue action groups. They are doing what they can - giving blood donations, bringing in cell phones for contact, etc... Please tell headquarters to standby to send any financial request to help centers in aiding the suffering victims in the Pentagon and New York. New York was hard to contact. Apart from physical comfort, all centers should be informed to gather for group prayers-meditation, so that humankind may understand each other through more peaceful ways. Report to me the rescue effort process. With all my love and great sorrow, Ching Hai

[New York, USA] The New York Center was divided into many groups to visit hospitals and deliver food for volunteers at the disaster site:

1) Hospital Group: Volunteer initiates prepared clothing, socks, gifts and other supplies to distribute at the Israel Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, New York University Hospital, and Saint Vincent Hospital.

The patients, volunteers and firefighters injured during the rescue activities were very thankful and happy about our group's visit. Upon receiving our gifts, they were touched and our gesture of love comforted their hearts. One firefighter especially asked his family members to remove his oxygen mask in order to thank us directly. It was a very touching moment. Conversely, we were touched by the firefighters' heroic efforts and felt their pain as we saw them lying in their hospital beds. We tried to comfort them by holding their hands, talking to them, and listening to them. By reaching out our humble hands, we learned a great lesson of love.

Madam Michelle Mulia-Howell from the New York Red Cross receives a contribution from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and takes a photo with fellow practitioners.	The commander of the New York Salvation Army, Major Carl L. Schoch, accepts our cash contribution with delightful surprise, as he knows about Master's concern for the victims.	Fellow practitioners load a van with food and circle around the disaster site, delivering food and drinks to the hands of the volunteers.

2) Food Groups: When we broke through many barriers and got close to the disaster site 24 hours after the attack occurred, a heavy downpour began, and although it killed the smoke outside, there were still fires burning inside the rubble, so there was still smoke everywhere. The place had a terrible smell, being a mixture of everything that was burning inside the buildings, and a layer of ash about one inch thick covered the surrounding area.

Wearing Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association uniforms--yellow vests--we set up two separate booths and hung banners reading "The Supreme Master Ching Hai Rescue Team" near the World Trade Center collapse site, and have prepared hundreds of veggie lunch boxes and sandwiches, as well as fruit, hot coffee and other drinks, as the quantity of food demanded at the disaster site has increased each day. We have gotten to know many of the volunteers working day and night without rest, and they have very much appreciated our Chinese food, saying that it is the best food they have tasted over the previous few days. We drove a food van around the disaster site, so that we were able to reach the most dangerous areas, including buildings that were tilted and about to collapse, where no food services were available. Most of the places we visited did not have any food and drink services. Therefore, we jokingly called our van "The Ching Hai Mobile Canteen."

Our booth does not merely supply food and drinks; it is virtually a free grocery and dispensary.

Our booths are not only food and drink supply venues, but also free grocery and pharmacy stores. We basically have everything the people need. Many people come to us because we provide good service with a loving attitude. Some even directly ask for details about our organization and discuss spiritual issues with our initiates. Particularly, the national guardsmen and policemen are very friendly to our organization. They normally check everyone's ID, even those of specialty working people. But when we change shifts, we just show our "Initiation card" and have one of our people from inside bring us in. They have observed our working attitude and are very much impressed by our group's spirit of dedication.

At the collapse site, we are a large volunteer group, consisting of many oriental faces and wearing yellow vests, which attracted local TV Channel 27 to come to interview us. They wondered why we worked so hard, from day till mid night, and we replied that we all have learned from the Supreme Master Ching Hai that we should help others who are in need without racial or religious discrimination, because we are all brothers and sisters.

3) Monetary Contributions: Apart from the above-mentioned relief efforts, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association also contributed a total of US$170,000 to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Firefighter Memorial Fund in New York by cable remittance and check. The contribution symbolized a brotherhood between the groups in cooperation, as we joined together to pursue the same ideal of helping the victims in need. Major Schoch of the Salvation Army was surprised and happy to know that our Master was very concerned about the victims.

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