Emily Chu’s Ceaseless Compassion

If you think that one person can’t possibly make a big difference, think again.
Ever since #TzuChiUSA launched in 1989, California resident Emily Chu has been contributing her time as a #TzuChiVolunteer. These days, her main task is to organize a fresh food and diaper distribution once a month for families in need in Santa Ana, CA.
“Each month I apply for six pallets of fresh produce,” Emily explains; “I went to the food bank, applied for the free diapers, so, each month they gave me six pallets of diapers.”
Carmen Cerda, who helps facilitate Tzu Chi USA’s monthly distribution at her school, Madison Elementary, says that these items lift a huge burden off of families that struggle to make ends meet: “we have families that are very low-income, so sometimes there has to be a decision-whether you buy food, or you buy diapers-so this is a great help for those families.”
In just one day alone this June, ​​Emily and her team of fellow volunteers served 950 households, benefitting 4,500 individual people. Acknowledging her team’s hard work, she says, “I don’t believe the food bank has that kind of service from other partners. We really did a good job.”
While it takes many hands and hearts to make a distribution like this come to life every month, Carmen acknowledges the important role of people like Emily: “She practices what she preaches. She tells us all how important it is to care about each other, and she does that.”
But, for Emily, volunteering isn’t just an activity; it’s been a lifelong calling: “if I don’t do the work, I feel guilty. How can I face these families lining up for the food, waiting for the diapers. I feel I have to do something. I hope I can work as long as I can, as long as I keep healthy, so I can continue to do it.”
Watch her inspiring commitment to #CommunityService in our latest video and support programs just like these at donate.tzuchi....
☑️ SUBSCRIBE to our RUclips Channel: @USTzuChi360
#VolunteeringMatters #ServingOthers #EngagedBuddhism #CompassionInAction #NonProfit #SantaAna #GiveBack