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 Community & TV
The China Post   Monday, February 12, 1996 (Originally In English)
 

Religious Group Reaches Out To The Homeless

Caption： A Supreme Master Ching Hai volunteer helps his "street friend" put on a new warm jacket to keep out the winter chill. In the spirit of Chinese New Year, the organization sent out search parties on Saturday, combing the streets of Taipei to hand out gifts to the city's homeless people.

-PHOTO COURTESY OF Supreme Master Ching Hai

By Idelette van Papendorp The China Post

   Maybe they aren't as visible as in many other countries, but for Taiwan's homeless people, the desolation is probably equally severe.

However, in the festive and giving spirit of Chinese New Year, the religious group Supreme Master Ching Hai (SCH) is looking out for these friends of the streets.

About 70 teams consisting of two to three volunteers from Supreme Master Ching Hai combed the streets in search of homeless people on Saturday to provide them with both material and spiritual comfort.

"We think to help others is to help ourselves," said SCH volunteer Shanna Cheng. "We don't only want to give them material things, but also spiritual love from our master."

Apart from receiving gifts like warm clothes and food, the homeless people were also invited to a special dinner party that same night. "We also offered to take them to the party, if they wanted," Cheng added.

At the party, guests were treated to a hearty meal, a bath if they wanted and free medical services.

But it wasn't just the homeless who benefited from Saturday's activities. After reaching out to Taipei's homeless, the volunteers visited poor families to help with repairs, house cleaning and even to fill out forms.

"Whatever they needed, we tried to do it," said Cheng.

Based on the teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai, the organization with the same name was started about 10 years ago and today has hundreds of thousands members or "disciples" in more than 30 countries worldwide.

SCH members started helping Taiwan's homeless people about two years ago in order to fulfill the teachings of their master. "Our master always reminds her disciples to help the needy around the world," said Cheng.

Three years ago Supreme Master Ching Hai received honorable U.S. citizenship in recognition of her and the organization's work with homeless people and victims of disaster.

"We are not a professional welfare service organization, but we do whatever we can and we do it with love," Cheng said.

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[Tang Su Xing reporting from Taipei] Yesterday, under Supreme Master Ching Hai's directive, about four hundred of Her disciples in the Taipei area divided into over eighty teams to looked for the homeless in every corner of the metropolitan area. Besides giving them red envelopes (lucky New Year's money), they also bought clothes and blankets for them.

According to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in Taipei, under Supreme Master Ching Hai's guidance, they targeted yesterday's searching operation at the homeless citizens wandering on the streets. Those who are being taken care of by charity groups or government organization were not the objects of this visiting activity.

Furthermore, the Association has obtained cooperation from the Danxui General Hospital, Neihu General Hospital and the Neihu Lin De Chinese Hospital to work in conjunction with this street searching operation to provide medical services for homeless citizens who were sick and in need of help.

[By reporter Gong Wei-Jun from Taipei] Responding to the appeal of the merciful Supreme Master Ching Hai, Her disciples, after having visited the Heng An Home for the Aged last Saturday to convey spiritual and material support to the seniors, they plan to launch an activity of caring for the poor and unfortunate as well as homeless people on the tenth of this month. They requested the public's help in locating these people.

Recently, Supreme Master Ching Hai has instructed Her disciples around the world to try their best to visit and console the poor and unfortunate people to give them some practical New Year's gifts depending on their needs. Upon receiving the directive from the great Master, the disciples have started a series of compassionate activities.

Based on their experience in previous years and the relevant data, the disciples have mobilized many members to make an advance investigation of the destitute families. Although they have obtained some initial information regarding the location the homeless, they still need enthusiastic people to provide more information, because many of them have no fixed place, and are therefore hard to find.

If any citizens have lately noticed any street people in Taipei, please note the location and their gender, and phone 749288.

    To give a warm winter to the street people, members from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, beginning from the ninth of this month, have been conducting a search in 22 districts -- with five teams of cars in each district, looking for the homeless in subways, under highway overpasses, in worn out houses and in other inconspicuous places.

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Boundless Compassion Is Forever Illuminating Each Corner Of The World--Hong Kong/Formosa   New Year's Presents For The Refugees  The Warm Stream Of Love  Comforting The Poor And Approaching The Truth  Being Grateful And Cherishing Blessings  Each Day Is A Miracle A Year End Party At The Old Folks Home  To Love Others Is To Love Ourselves A Lesson Of Love！ Bright Light On A Cold Night  Religious Group Reaches Out To The Homeless