Trip to Northern Neck Free Clinic
June 2020
Letter from Ms. Isabelle Maricar:
During March of this year, I volunteered at the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Clinic through William and Mary’s Branch Out Alternative Breaks program. The program focuses on fostering active citizenship in students during school breaks, where students have a chance to volunteer in a community and learn about the social issues at hand. While Covid-19 sadly cut my break short, I was able to give back and return to the clinic in June with my mom and Cô Huyền from Thăng Long Vietnamese School. When I told my mom about the clinic’s shortage in face masks, she reached out to Cô Huyền who was kind enough to collect and donate masks from the Từ Bi Foundation and the Compassionate Service Society East. Returning to the clinic to see Ms. Jeanie Nelson, the founder of the clinic, and the rest of the staff had a profound effect on me and my outlook on equitable and affordable healthcare. I highly encourage youth to seek volunteer opportunities where they can give back to the community. Volunteering should not be done as a “resume booster”, but should be done to practice compassion and to learn more about their own communities. Volunteer opportunities should be sustainable (i.e. recurring activities that promote long-term relationships with the community) and encourage reflection (i.e. asking questions such as “What is the social issue/bigger picture at hand?” “What are my own biases as a volunteer?” “Aside from volunteering, how else can I positively contribute to this social issue?”). With those things in mind, effective volunteering can guide youth toward active citizenship and promote positive changes in their communities.
Isabelle Maricar
Gifts for the blind in Vinh Chau village, Soc Trang
January 4, 2020
Dear benefactors,
This is one of the programs that TBF continues to help every year with Venerable Thich Thien Hue. TBF’s contribution could only help 200 people with 1000 portions gifts for the blind in Soc Trang, Vinh Chau commune.
https://zingnews.vn/su-that-ve-hang-tram-nguoi-mu-o-vinh-chau-post592050.html
Each trolley trip contain gifts for 5 people.
We greatly appreciate the love and support for the suffering and disadvantages given by the nearly 40 volunteers who were present … Europe, USA, Canada and Vietnam. It was truly ‘Compassion Without Borders’.
Tu Bi Foundation
Bringing Light Program to 267 poor patients in the northern districts and provinces
November 14, 2019
Dear Benefactors,
On October 26, 2019, the program ‘Bringing light to 267 patients in the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Hoa Binh, Quang Ninh, Phu Tho, and Thuong Tin – Hanoi’ completed as wish. This virtue was achieved through the contributions from benefactors in the United States, Europe, Australia and Vietnam. It is very more meaningful when contribution come from donors around the world. We would like to pay homage to the monks and nuns at the following temples for their support of this program: venerable abbot of Vietnam Buddhist Center (Houston), nun Minh Lien of Vien Thong Pagoda (Houston). Venerable Phổ Quang (France), nun Viên Diệu (Switzerland), Phóng Sanh Group (Germany), and Buddhists in California – Maryland – Virginia – Texas – Australia. Please dedicate this merit to all the sentient beings, to always live in peace and happiness. May the world and all beings be peaceful.
Tu Bi Foundation would like to express our sincere gratitude to DND Mắt Hospital in Hanoi, and to the charitable committees, all of whom have devoted themselves to caring for the patients so well. The work starts from 5 am to 8:30 pm, but everyone laugh during the entire time of service. DND Hospital has a total of 150 participants from many provinces, including 8 ophthalmologists, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, ancillary departments and the executive board. “This is the day everyone is dedicated to serving, everyone is volunteering,” said Dr. Quế. In the end we helped 267 patients and 8 patients will have surgery when their health stabilize. Each patient given a medicine bag to care for their eyes after surgery and nearly $5 USD. The hospital is very clean!
The Tu Bi Foundation would like to express our gratitude to elder abbess Diệu Từ from Giác Tâm Temple in Saigon, nun Tâm Phụng and 12 nun in the provinces have devotedly worked throughout this program, guiding 400 patients to Hanoi and warmly care for each individual. Volunteer group from Saigon travel North to assist smooth coordination. In addition, in the 50 locals in Hanoi, serve and help volunteer groups by providing breakfast and lunch to all patients. Patients that did not qualify for operation, the hospital paid driver to take them home. When everyone leave, they will receive an envelop with close to $5 USD and food. Everyone was well cared for.
Thanks to the eye surgery program, 200 volunteers including the medical team at DND Mắt Hospital had the opportunity to work together to care for the 400 patients. It is this noble love that has arisen from the kind heart of each person as they help alleviate the suffering of others.
Much appreciation our benefactors,
Tu Bi Foundation
We would like to share pictures of Vu Lan a program with the theme “Vu Lan – Mother’s Love” at the nursing home by Tu Bi volunteers from Vietnam Buddhist Center at 10 am Saturday, August 17, 2019.
May this merit be dedicated and prayer for grandparents and parents who are currently alive be well, happy and at peace. Pray for grandparents and parents who have passed away be full of merit reborn to the peaceful realm Western Pure Land.
May the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the 10 direction bless all with peace of mind and body, and success.
May this merit be work
Dedicate to all
I (disciple) and sentient beings
Attain enlightenment.
Nammo Ullambana initiate predestiny by the great filial piety Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva
Tu Bi Foundation
Visiting, gifts and food for patients 2019.05.16
Dear Benefactors,
In life, sometimes we are caught up in our business and family activities, so we do not have time to observe what is happening around us. So we don’t know how bless we are – physical health, a happy family, and sufficient material. Previously, some benefactors whose relatives past away, asked Tu Bi to perform the good deeds and dedicate the merit for the decease to reborn in Pureland peaceful world and pray for peace for the family and benefactors.
The awareness of ‘saving sentient beings’ – no matter how big or small the task, when a chance arise our volunteers will try to do it. We were lucky to be able to work with nuns at Loc Uyen Pagoda in Da Lat and be accompanied by a charity program to visit and give gifts from Vien Thong Pagoda in Houston, guided by abbess Thich Nu Minh Lien. The Dharma teaching of impermanence – suffering, birth, aging, illness, death, etc. were presented before our eyes when visiting patients with kidney disease, cancer …
When visiting cancer patients, we were speechless. The image of a bump growing on a woman’s chest, it is like the head of a man with eyes and a mouth … bumps growing all over a woman’s body make her suffer. The presence of the monks and nuns who visited and gave gifts to 100 patients on the occasion of Lunar New Year brought a lot of joy to patients and their families. Pray for patients to be free from illness and peace. To help the ill acquire good karma, we went to the market at 5 am to buy fish, toads, etc … before restaurants and the public go to the market to buy fresh meat for their daily meal. Before the “life release”, the group chanted sutras and took refuge in the Three Jewels. Looking at the image of the swimming fish and the frogs crawling to the shore as if to thank delegation before disappearing.
In addition, in March 2019, the Tu Bi Foundation had the opportunity to donate 100 lunches to patients with free eye surgery in Saigon. Through this program, we also learned that in the South, charitable organizations have received a lot of help from domestic and foreign benefactors. But we had a lot of difficulties calling for help poor patients in the North. At the northern temples, there are many people who need eye surgery, but they are not helped.
Tu Bi Foundation will try its best to be able to conduct a charitable eye examination for the poor in remote areas in the North of September, 2019. Much appreciation to our benefactors near and far for their continuing support.
Tu Bi Foundation
New Year gifts for heavily flooded area in Dien Bien, 2019.01.14-20
250 packaged items, each worth $400,000 VND:
1 warm blanket, 1 tulle curtain, 10kg of rice, 1 kg of instant noodles, and 10 spices.
Translation is not available at the moment.
Please use https://translate.google.com for the time being.
Further down the page is a thank you letter English from the United Way in North Carolina.
December 26, 2018
Kính thưa quý ân nhân và quý đồng hương,
Năm 2017 và 2018, thiên tai thảm hoạ đã liên tục xảy ra khắp thế giới. Mọi sự cố gắng của Tu Bi Foundation dù chỉ là một hạt cát trong biển cả, với ước nguyện làm vơi bớt sự mất mát, khổ đau của tất cả các nạn nhân khắp thế giới. Bản chất khổ đau luôn hiện hữu trong cuộc sống bởi mọi sự vật được tồn tại do duyên khởi. Nhưng không vì thế mà chúng ta có thể ngồi yên không hành động khi thấy nhân loại khắp thế giới đang phải đối diện với tai ương, thảm hoạ; cuộc sống ngày càng bất an khắp mọi nơi ngay cả tại đất nước Hoa Kỳ của chúng ta! Thiện nguyên viên Tu Bi Foundation xin phát nguyện được làm 1 cánh tay của Ngài Quan Thế Âm, thực hiện các thiện pháp trong tinh thần: “Sáng cho người thêm niềm vui, chiều giúp người bớt khổ”. Các chương trình được thực hiện theo thời gian và khả năng của thiện nguyện viên có được nên sự thông báo tin tức có phần chậm trễ, xin quý ân nhân hoan hỷ và cảm thông!
Tổng kết chương trình từ thiện 2018 sẽ được thông báo sau. Xin gởi thư báo cáo và danh sách quý ân nhân đóng góp. (Một số ân nhân đóng góp đến 2 chương trình, nên được chia số tiền làm 2.). nếu có thiếu xót tên, xin quý ân nhân email cho Tu Bi Foundation biết.
Tu Bi Foundation xin chân thành tri ân quý ân nhân đã tin tưởng và gởi tịnh tài khiến cho chương trình uỷ lạo tại Hoa Kỳ được thành tựu. Nhiều ân nhân đã gởi nhiều lần, cứ mỗi khi biết được Hội Tu Bi sẽ thực hiện các chương trình uỷ lạo tại Hoa Kỳ tại các tiểu bang bị thảm hoạ. Đây là sức mạnh khiến cho thiện nguyện viên của Hội có thêm năng luợng và niềm tin trên con đường dấn thân, hổ trợ cho hạnh bồ tát đạo của tự thân. Chỉ có ‘phước đức của mỗi người, mới có thể giúp tự thân thoát khỏi các tai nạn, thảm hoạ’. Đó là điều mà chúng tôi cảm nhận sâu sắc trong quá trình đi uỷ lạo. Làm sao trả lời câu hỏi của các nạn nhân: “Tại sao nhà kia không bị hư hại mà nhà tôi và các nhà chung quanh bị thiệt hại”. Xin hãy nối rộng vòng tay những khi chúng ta có cơ hội.
……
Các chương trình đã được thực hiện năm 2018
https://tubifoundation.shutterfly.com/2018-19/2
Các chương trình đã được thực hiện năm 2017
https://tubifoundation.shutterfly.com/2016
Thank you letter from the United Way in North Carolina
Dear Most Ven. Thich Nguyen Hanh & Ms. Le Huyen:
How can we thank friends that we did not know, who came from other states to help our families in need and brought to our community great kindness, love and compassion? Imagine how I felt, receiving a call from you informing me of your plan to provide assistance.
Several weeks ago, you came to our community to assess the damage. This past weekend, you came back to provide generous financial support that will help many.
Perhaps the greater gift was your presence. I think back to the smiles of appreciation and gratitude. I think back to the expressions of thanks and “God Bless You”. Yes, there were tears in the eyes of many. I was teary eyed on several occasions when the emotions overcame the recipients who understood that people cared about them. Some needed caring and compassion as much as the crucial funding.
Love generates love and compassion is passed on through others. I remember the mother, as we were running out of money, who told us that we should take the mothers with children first! There was the young mother that came back to let us know that we gave her too much and although she needed the money as well, she did not want to take something meant for others. She thought we were giving $100. I saw her face when you told her that the amount was correct.
Then there was our young 11 year old hero. We essentially stopped the project to highlight what this young boy did after the storm, going house to house helping others in the neighborhood. This young man will remember for a lifetime, our genuine appreciation for what he did.
Well, I will never forget this past Saturday when you came to visit our Cape Fear area. I may forget the faces of the people you helped and I may forget the details of what we did together. I will never forget the feeling of love and compassion that you brought to our community with your financial support.
It is now something we will need to pass on to someone else, because you gave us a wonderful gift. Your love is still shinning in my heart and mind. We are thankful to you.
Sincerely;
E Craig Heim
President & CEO
United Way
Xin trận trọng tri ân
Tu Bi Foundation
Dear friends,
The end of the year is an opportunity for family members to spend time together, instead of being happy with their children and grandchildren, 114 people are alone in quiet rooms of nursing homes during the year-end holidays.
There are many people who can’t walk and/or eat, they spend the entire day watching television or sleeping in bed. It seems that TV has become a close friend of the elderly. Even if they had loss their hearing, but he could see the images. There are many people who are very happy every time they see our group visit. On Saturday morning, December 22, 2018, the volunteer group from Tu Bi Foundation and Vietnam Buddhist Temple (including Venerable Thich Minh Phuoc, Venerable Thich Tam Lac, and bhikkhunī Hue Hoa) visited and gave gifts to 114 people in the nursing home; hoping to bring joy during the holidays. Each gift consists of a wool hat, a pair of socks, a pair of gloves, a toothpaste tube and a card of heartwarming brothers and sisters who are given each hand.
The gifts are not expensive but were wrapped with the love of our brothers and sisters, and hope to bring them smiles and warmth this winter.
Dear Benefactors,
Since 2018, Từ Bi Foundation once a month to visit and share with the Vietnamese people who are staying at the West Houston nursing home. Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, 13428 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77083 in Houston.
On June 16, 2018 Tu Bi Foundation visited and presented gifts to the elderly people at Father’s Day Elderly Care Home at 9 o’clock today, Saturday June 16.
Much appreciation to Ms. Arsenia, Director Of Activities, and everyone for making this possible.