Page 48 - 44-Summer 2015_Final

Ninety Years of

Tzu Chi's Home

After nine decades and several tenants, this historic property continues to
serve the community.

Colin Legerton

hough Tzu Chi volunteers are widely Charles B. Voorhis purchased over one hundred
spread throughout the United States, they acres of land on the site and established the
Tall belong to the same Voorhis School for Boys. His
Tzu Chi family. Just as all Tzu The spirit of the Voorhis goal was to provide homeless
Chi volunteers worldwide School carries on as well, and orphaned boys with
share a spiritual home in in the way that Tzu Chi an elementary education,
Hualien’s Jing Si Abode, so Christian moral direction,
too do volunteers in the volunteers strive every and hands-on experience in
United States share a home day to provide love, care, carpentry, automotive repair,
at Tzu Chi USA Headquarters and opportunities for the printing, farming, and more.
in San Dimas, California. underprivileged. His son, Jerry, served as the
This beautiful location—an school’s first headmaster and
idyllic hilltop campus tucked compassionate father figure
behind enchanting Walnut Creek Park—holds to all of its underprivileged students.
a special place not only in the hearts of Tzu Chi
volunteers, but also on the pages of California Jerry Voorhis led the school for its first eight
history. years, but in the midst of the Great Depression,
he felt called to serve the wider community
The campus’s story begins all the way back by helping to guide the country through the
in 1927 when retired automotive executive difficult era. He was elected to the U.S. House

In the early days, the campus was surrounded by citrus groves.
Photo courtesy of San Dimas Historical Society
4 8 TZU CHI USA SUMMER 2015