Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Tzu Chi Las Vegas volunteers have shifted their regular charity and medical programs to offer personal protective equipment and food for the hungry and homeless in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV.

As the global outbreak of COVID-19 swept across the United States in the Spring and early Summer of 2020, New York dominated the headlines, having the highest number of confirmed cases. However, the Native American Navajo Nation was also hardest-hit at the same time, with a reported higher infection rate per capita than any other U.S. state in May.

Tzu Chi volunteers donate PPE to St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston on August 3, 2020. Photo / Pen-Chi Liu Written by Jennifer ChienTranslated

When a Tzu Chi volunteer in Virginia was notified that a pediatric clinic urgently needed face masks, volunteers immediately delivered PPE to the clinic. Then, when Dr. Nguyen expressed concerns for the clinic’s low-income patients who were struggling with food insecurity due to the pandemic, he and Tzu Chi joined their loving efforts to organize a free food distribution.

As soon as the chef turned off the heat and transferred the steaming and tasty vegetarian fried rice into two big steel containers, Mingzhe immediately departed with them. He made haste to deliver the hot meal to the Jubilee Center of South Broward in Hollywood, a beachfront community located midway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, before 9:00 AM.

Tzu Chi Austin volunteers donated 2,000 masks to Hispanic Contractors Association de Tejas in July.

On July 9th, Tzu Chi volunteers delivered 300 vegan lunch boxes to show their support and encourage health care workers at the Riverside University

Tzu Ching and Tzu Chi volunteers in Washington state make PPE donations to local migrant farm workers in Yakima, WA.