The Supreme Master Ching Hai
By Los Angeles Relief Team (Originally in English)
With much love and care for individuals in need, Supreme Master Ching Hai asked our Association members to help those who were homeless in winter, with funds available as needed. In December 2012, our Los Angeles Center contributed over US$19,000 which was used for the relief work. We then organized two teams, one to purchase cold weather gear and another to seek out people living outdoors or in homeless shelters, missions, churches or abandoned buildings around southern California. The team members worked swiftly with overwhelming gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai for Her shining example of compassion for all.
After packaging the items for delivery, we visited homeless facilities in San Diego, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties, some of which cared for children, while others helped adolescents, women, or families. Each shelter or mission received a quantity of gift bags depending on their requests and needs.
On December 22 and 23, we visited Orange County to distribute 100 gift bags to the less fortunate at a church in the city of Buena Park. We then delivered 300 bags at a soup kitchen in Costa Mesa where hundreds of less privileged community members and others in need were gathered on the sidewalks. Then on Christmas Eve, in front of the very large Los Angeles Mission shelter, we handed out 1,000 blankets.
Many of the recipients needed warm clothing to withstand the cold, so they were delighted and surprised to receive the loving gift bags. Each gift bag included a sweater, a hat, a scarf, gloves, socks, and an umbrella. Some of the people were so overwhelmed that they were speechless. The gifts brought happy faces to all, and many repeatedly said, “Thank you” for what they had received. Meanwhile, the team members were deeply grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai for the valuable lessons they learned about love, and about sharing with their less fortunate brothers and sisters. They felt happy to be able to carry out this work through Her noble inspiration.
Expenditures by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for
Winter Relief Work in Los Angeles, California, USA
| Description | Amount (USD) | Receipts |
|---|---|---|
| Blankets, men's jackets, children's jackets, socks, and gloves | 14,935.50 | A |
| Sweaters | 2,487.58 | B |
| Toothpaste, toothbrushes, bags, warm gloves, scarves, hats, towels, and windbreaker jackets | 1,803.98 | C |
| Total | US$19,227.06 |
