October 06, 2016

Tu Bi Foundation – Vietnam Buddhist Center, Sugar Land, Texas.
George Bell
Capital Area United Way
700 Laurel Street Baton Rouge, LA 70821

RE: Donation to the Louisiana Flood Victims

Tu Bi Foundation is a non-profit organization, established in 1993 by the Abbot of the Vietnam Buddhist Center (VNBC) in Houston, Texas. The Vietnamese word, “Tu Bi” was chosen because it represents compassion and loving-kindness. Our key mission is to raise money, primarily within our Vietnamese-American Buddhists community at large here throughout the U.S., to provide financial assistance to places worldwide affected by natural disasters.

The Vietnamese-American Buddhists here in the U.S. strongly and deeply felt the pain and suffering of our fellow Americans who were directly affected by the unprecedented flooding in southern Louisiana in August as many of us who before lived in Vietnam had gone through and experienced similar devastation. Thus, on behalf of the Vietnamese Buddhists community at large, Tu Bi Foundation would like to donate $28,604.00 (twenty eight thousands, six hundred, four dollars) to help the families, schools are still in needs of recovering their losses, particularly costly properties that they once owned and depended on for their daily life. We realize that many have lost significant amount of properties, and they are still struggling to get their lives back to normal. Thus, we are reaching out to our fellow Americans in Louisiana, and let them know that we stand together with them through difficult, challenging times.

Based on our conversations with Ms. Sarah H. Berthelot / President and CEO, Louisiana Association of United Ways, we would like to donate $14,302.00 to each of the two schools were badly damage by the flood. Ms. Sarah indicated: How can we partner? Based on our conversations, LAUW can work with the Capital Area United Way to make contact with schools who are in need of resources for restoration. We can work with local schools to discern how to best use donations – based on their specific challenges. For example: if your donation could provide $14,000 to 2 school sites, LAUW and CAUW would work to identify the needs of the schools, ensure the school follows through and then report the results back to you. We would stay in touch so your organization can be informed of the progress made with your donation.

We are grateful for your commitment to help Tu Bi Foundation to carry out the flood relief in Louisiana. On behalf of the Vietnamese American Buddhists community, Tu Bi Foundation would like to send our solemn prayer to all households in southern Louisiana for a speedy recovery.

Please con tact us at tubifoundation@gmail.com if you have any other questions. Rev. Thich Nguyen Dat, Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Center in Sugar Land, Texas and Rev. Thich Dao Quang, abbot of Tam Bao Temple in Baton Rouge, LA will represent Tu Bi Foundation joining LAUW to deliver the checks to local school, please contact Rev. Dao Quang at 678-357-9877.

Sincerely yours,
Tu Bi Foundation

Wikipedia – 2016 Louisiana floods