Love In Action
Master Helps The Victims Of The Hurricane Georges By Florida News Group, USA

Mr. Summer Hutcheson, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross in Central Florida (second from right); Ms. Jeanne Morris, Development Director (left); and the Secretary (second from left) welcome and thank the representatives sent by Supreme Master Ching Hai for the contribution of US$40,000 for the victims of Hurricane Georges in the Caribbean and Southern Florida.

[Report From Florida] Hurricane Georges took a terrible toll on the Caribbean, including the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Georges killed more than 300 people in the Caribbean and left behind a heartbreaking trail of destruction. Recovery will be long and painful and will take months or perhaps years.

Georges took the lives of an estimated 300 people in the Dominican Republic alone, and some 600,000 people there have been seriously affected.

In Haiti, heavy rains ruined the banana crops, clogged an already crippled drainage system, and flooded entire cities. On September 26, the official death toll was 87, with as many as 4,500 people homeless.

Georges hit Puerto Rico late Monday night, September 21, cutting diagonally across the island. For twelve brutal hours, Georges lashed the island, exploding windows, topping trees and power lines, triggering floods and mudslides, and taking the lives of at least five victims. Tens of thousands of people were forced to take cover in shelters, leaving their homes to the storm's fury. In addition, more than 80 percent of Puerto Rico's 3.8 million residents were left with no electricity, and 70 percent had no clean water. It may be weeks before these basic necessities are fully restored. Countless roads and highways also remain blocked by fallen trees, dangling power lines, and flood waters.

Georges inflicted an estimated $300 million in damages to Florida, two-thirds of that in the Florida Keys, which were hit by the storm's 110 mph winds on Friday, September 25.

Responding to this catastrophe, Master mercifully sent representatives on October 1 to the American Red Cross in Central Florida and donated US$40,000. The donation will be equally distributed to Florida, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. The Red Corss's Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sumner Hutcheson and Development Director Ms. Jeanne Morris welcomed our representatives and provided a brief report of this disaster in Mr. Hutcheson's office. Before our representatives left the office, Master called and spoke to Ms. Morris. When our representatives asked Ms. Morris how she felt when she spoke to Master, she said that she was so honored and impressed to speak with such a remarkable and philanthropic spiritual leader.

The Red Cross expressed its appreciation for Master's selfless love and generosity to help Red Cross bring relief to the victims of this disaster.

<Letter Of Appreciation>

October 2, 1998 Dear Sir, On behalf of the many families and friends in Florida, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico benefited from the American Red Cross' programs and services, thank you for believing in and supporting the American Red Cross. Your generous donation of $40,000 helps keep Red Cross on the scene providing relief to the victims of Hurricane Georges. One of the deadliest hurricanes in decades, Georges cut a path of destruction across the Caribbean, Southern Florida and Southern Panhandle, demolishing buildings, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people, and leaving behind horrific devastation. Thousands of families have lost everything. American Red Cross is assisting families driven from their homes by catastrophic winds, rains and flooding. Our Development Officer, Jeanne Morris was honored to speak with the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Ms. Morris explained that the Supreme Master Ching Hai worked for the Red Cross in Germany. In addition, Ms. Morris described how impressed she was to speak with such remarkable and philanthropic spiritual leader. Thank you for helping the victims of this and other disasters through your generous contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Just like the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in Florida, our mission is to keep families safe and in tact when disaster and other emergencies strike. Through the generosity of organizations like yours in our community, we are here when Help Can't Wait, when disaster strikes, anywhere... anytime. Sincerely, Sumner Hutcheson, III Chief Executive Officer Four receipts, each US$10,000, from American Red Cross of Central Florida for the Hurricane Georges Disaster relief work in Florida, Puerto Rico, Dominica and Haiti.