Sharing Master’s Love with Those Affected by West Virginia, USA Flood

By Washington DC and Virginia Center, USA (Originally in English)

On June 23, 2016, torrential rain in West Virginia, USA brought one of the state’s deadliest flash floods in history. Twenty-three people lost their lives, hundreds were displaced, and over 1,200 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. On July 6, following Supreme Master Ching Hai’s caring instruction to render aid to those in need, a team of our Association members from Washington, D.C. and Virginia, USA traveled to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to carry out flood relief work with Master’s loving contribution of US$15,000.

We drove a large rental truck loaded with supplies, along with two minivans and a sedan to the affected location. First we went to City Hall and met with the Honorable Mr. Lloyd Haynes, the mayor of White Sulphur Springs; Mr. John Pauley, the police chief of White Sulphur Springs; and Mr. Jan Cahill, the sheriff of Greenbrier County. They gave us a list of the names of those who had unfortunately perished in the disaster, and brought some of their family members to City Hall to receive the supplies from us. They were very touched; some hugged us tightly and cried. Upon learning that one family had lost three members to the flood, we prepared three US$500 checks and asked Mr. Pauley to deliver them to their immediate relatives, which he gladly did.

After the meeting, we went to the drop-off center nearby to deliver the remainder of the supplies including baby food and formula, diapers, feminine hygiene supplies, toothpaste, toothbrushes, blankets, clothing, water, cleaning supplies and other basic necessities. The manager was happy to see us, and expressed tremendous thanks.

We also visited the stricken area along Howard Creek, where most victims had already moved out. We talked to a man who came back to clean up his house, and provided him US$200 to help buy food during this time. He was very touched, and asked for the name of our organization. We also offered monetary assistance to another man, but he said he was luckier than most, and he would rather see the money go to those who needed it more than he did. We wished him good luck and bid him goodbye.

Thanks to Master’s blessings, the relief work went smoothly. We are grateful to the mayor, the sheriff, and the police chief who were very willing to help us and the people of their county. We were able to find all the families of the deceased, and offered financial assistance to each. Although our effort was small, we hope we were able to bring Master’s love and blessings to our brothers and sisters in their time of need.

Expenditures by The Supreme Master Ching Hai for Flood Relief Work in West Virginia, USA