Strengthening Tzu Chi New York’s Mobile Medical Mission

In 1991, Tzu Chi USA launched its Northeast Regional Office, Tzu Chi New York, in Flushing, NY. Many people found a calling as a Tzu Chi volunteer, helping their fellow New Yorkers in need.
Shirley Lin, the Principal of Tzu Chi Academy, New York, knows this all too well. “I’m a Tzu Chi volunteer since like 20 years ago,” she tells us. For Shirley, becoming a parent, too, didn’t stop her from dedicating her time to serving her community.
“When I had my kids, I just brought her with me,” she explains of her daughter. “We’re doing Tzu Chi work together, and she knows that as long as we have our good hands we can do many things.”
But, this dedication comes with its challenges, too. “We have a job in the daytime; on Saturday and Sunday, we’re volunteers, so we really don’t have time to go to the doctor and, especially for me, I don’t have any dental insurance.”
Luckily for volunteers like Shirley, Tzu Chi New York’s medical mission is here to help.
In a first-ever Volunteer Healthcare Day, which took place on June 23, 2024, Tzu Chi Medical’s mobile units, including dental and vision mobiles, Tzu Chi volunteers were able to make appointments to receive free dental and vision care services in Flushing, Queens.
Not only was it a way for the team to do a run-through of their services (before making them available to the general public), but it was a way to provide care for those who’ve dedicated so much.
Tzu Chi volunteer Xiaohong Lu, who received a new pair of prescription glasses from Tzu Chi’s Vision mobile unit, said that “originally, we volunteered because we wanted to help others.” Now, with her new frames, she says “I‘m very grateful to Tzu Chi as they are now also helping us.”
See more in the video and help us provide more medical aid for those in need in New York City at donate.tzuchi....
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