TZU CHI USA JOURNAL

Across continents and coastlines, Tzu Chi volunteers and community members joined hands and hearts beneath one shared spring sky on May 10, 2026, to celebrate Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Global Tzu Chi Day.

At Tzu Chi offices from California to New York, participants breathed in the scent of fresh flowers placed upon altars, hands together in prayer as thousands of miles away in Taiwan, the same aspirations for peace and unconditional compassion rose into the air.
Through synchronized ceremonies, and joined by Tzu Chi’s founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, from the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, communities bridged oceans in shared reflection.

“The certification day truly felt like a family gathering,” Amber Lee said, looking back on January 18, 2026, when she officially became a certified Tzu Chi volunteer during a ceremony at Tzu Chi USA National Headquarters.

“Tzu Chi has been a part of my life since childhood,” said Elvin Huang, 26, an engineer at Texas Instruments and deputy group leader of the Tzu Chi High School Group in the Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region.

Melinda Wu’s first encounter with Tzu Chi came in 2009. At age four, she traveled to Taiwan with her family. Because her aunt, Hungju Wu, was involved with Tzu Chi, they visited the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s global headquarters, where Dharma Master Cheng Yen resides.

Written by Sophie X. SongTranslated by H.B. QinEdited by Ida Eva Zielinska Published #78 | Fall 2025 Issue On April 27, 2025, the Tzu Chi

Written by Sophie X. SongTranslated by H.B. QinEdited by Ida Eva Zielinska Published #78 | Fall 2025 Issue Tzu Chi volunteer I-Chih Sun tells stories

Till Echoes Can Be Heard: Tzu Chi in New York Written by Adriana DiBenedetto and Ida Eva ZielinskaPublished #74 | Fall 2024 Issue  A tribute

Decades ago, Tzu Chi helped advance education in Tijuana with an elementary school. The Foundation’s educational mission locally has continued to evolve over the years, most recently implementing a program for Tijuana’s youths known as the “Classroom of Hope.” Today, it empowers students with the resources to transform communities.

The morning began with a group circle, where all the volunteers serving that day joined hands and swayed in unison as they listened to a motivational Tzu Chi song with lyrics that encourage “love and care for all.”

When it was time for the interview scheduled at noon, Stephen Denq, the current Chief Executive Officer of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, hadn’t yet arrived.