On October 26, 2003 a series of devastating wildfires began sweeping across more than 734,000 acres of brush and timber land in Southern California’s San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura and Riverside counties, killing more than twenty people and destroying over 3,570 homes. In the midst of the fires, a San Diego newspaper reported, “This is the worst firestorm to hit these counties in thirty-three years.”
San Diego initiates deliver sandwiches to Qualcomm Stadium, the largest evacuation center in San Diego.
When the wildfires first broke out, San Diego initiates immediately discussed what they could do to help the victims. Initially they planned to provide bottles of drinking water for the region’s evacuation centers, but then they received news from local authorities that everyone should stay home, and that all the main freeways and highways had been blocked to ensure the smooth movement of firefighters and paramedics to the fire-stricken areas. Not even postal service vehicles were allowed to operate, which meant that the initiates’ donation check would not be mailed to the American Red Cross as they had planned!
Sensing the urgency of the situation, the initiates knew that something should be done quickly for the fire victims temporarily staying at the evacuation centers. So through Master’s inner guidance they prepared vegetarian sandwiches to be delivered to Qualcomm Stadium, the largest evacuation center in San Diego, housing more than five thousand evacuees. The fellow initiates happily accepted assignments to go shopping for veggie ham, ketchup, sandwich spreads, sandwich bags and bread. Then they joyfully prepared sandwiches in the San Diego Center’s small kitchen.
The initiates next learned that officials were not allowing donated food to be brought to the evacuation center. But through Master’s love and blessings, and keeping Her principle of positive thinking in mind, they decided to go ahead with the project anyway, saying, “Well, we’ll just do it and pray to Master for help.” So they traveled to Qualcomm Stadium, wearing yellow and green vests bearing the words “The San Diego Rescue Team of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association,” and were ushered through several checkpoints by other rescue workers and the center’s security guards. The initiates were then shown where to unload the food, and went to meet with a representative of the American Red Cross. She was really surprised to learn that the Association’s members had come with a financial contribution and veggie sandwiches for the evacuees, asked a number of questions about the Association and happily thanked the initiates for their donation, adding, “Please give our thanks to your Master!”
By early November, the number of displaced residents in the San Diego area increased, as tens of thousands of people were forced into evacuation centers. The San Diego initiates then agreed that much more should be done considering the tremendous losses caused by the fires. Encouraged by emails of sympathy and pledges of financial support from other centers such as Oregon, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, we prayed to Master for Her blessing so that we could bring more love to the fire victims.
Most of the evacuation centers were overwhelmed with material donations and were only accepting financial contributions. However, the initiates found one place, Valley Center High School, which was still welcoming materials. So on Sunday, November 2, they loaded a rental truck with packages of toilet paper and cases of bottled drinking water and headed for the school.
Valley Center High School is about 55 miles north of the San Diego Center and about 40 miles south of the L.A. Center, in the town of Valley Center near the area where one of three fearful lakes of fire, the Paradise Fire, was burning. As they traveled, the initiates saw a vast landscape of valleys, hills and mountains colored black and gray, the legacy of the awesome flames. .
At the High School, the evacuated families were housed in the gymnasium. The initiates were welcomed by a Red Cross representative, who showed them around and spared some time for The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association’s Los Angeles TV crew to conduct an interview. Then the fellow initiates rapidly carried the donations to a nearby storehouse. The crew wasted no time in recording the activities and in interviewing relief workers, one of whom expressed her thanks to Master Ching Hai for Her “loving works.”
“Thanks for your kindness,” replied one fellow initiate, “The suffering of the fire victims reminds us to convey the love and compassion that God wants humankind to treasure.”
On behalf of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, San Diego initiates hand checks in the amount of US$4,000 to representatives of the American Red Cross (on the right).
 |
Report from Ohio |