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s the United States sank into recession in 2008 and
many millions lost their jobs, countless people were
Aleft without medical insurance, unable to afford even
the most basic healthcare. In this difficult time, the need for
Tzu Chi’s compassionate care grew even greater.
Responding to this need, Tzu Chi volunteers around
the country not only expanded existing services, but added
new projects as well. These included Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) free tax reporting, care for underprivileged
students and their families through the Happy Campus
Program, and New Jersey’s Tzu Chi Food Pantry full of
nutritious food for families otherwise unable to afford it.
After many years of perseverance and dedicated service,
Tzu Chi now started to earn the acceptance and recognition
of other major organizations. Tzu Chi was accepted as
a member of National Voluntary Organizations Active
in Disaster (NVOAD) in 2006, signed a memorandum of
understanding with the American Red Cross in 2008, and
was granted special consultative status with the United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2010.
Tzu Chi’s methods of preventing the “second disaster” of
disaster relief by avoiding unnecessary garbage, as well
the major relief impact after the devastation of Hurricane
Sandy, earned much notice and appreciation. During the
NVOAD annual conference in 2013, Tzu Chi was awarded the
Member of the Year award, having been nominated by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In addition to continuing to provide care for several
Central American countries, Tzu Chi volunteers from the
United States and elsewhere responded quickly when Haiti
was struck by a major earthquake in 2010. They not only
carried out aid distributions and free medical clinics in the
disaster area, but also rebuilt schools and trained local
volunteers to compassionately and effectively serve their
own communities.
Responding to medical needs both at home and abroad,
Tzu Chi volunteers not only continued holding regular

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