PHILIPSBURG;--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation reached 2,903 families by the end of December after extending its holiday relief to the end of the year to be able to help more households.
In total Tzu Chi’s holiday relief reached 2,903 families, which is estimated to benefit 9,448 family members. In addition, four institutions were also provided with relief items. Of the number of recipients assisted 1,176 indicated that they are in arrears in their rent; 1,874 had either no work and no income or only worked a few hours in the week.
A total of 334 volunteers participated in the 13 relief efforts to assist the families.
Recipients were grateful for the assistance. Taxi driver Iris, who has not been working for several months and who had taken in family members who have lost their jobs into her home, expressed her gratitude to Tzu Chi for helping to ease the burden on her household with the assistance received. “I am thankful and grateful,” she said.
Stay-at-home mother Patricia, whose household consists of seven persons, said the assistance goes a long way in helping the family. She also tries to assist elderly neighbours with the little that she has. She lauded Tzu Chi for its efforts and urged everyone to come out and support the foundation.
Roxanne, another recipient said she is very much appreciative of the foundation and its efforts to help persons in the community. She said Tzu Chi is a visible foundation with a central location, which does a lot for families. “We are very much appreciative of the foundation. I consider it one of the greatest because they are visible to the public.”
Bibi Hodge-Shaw, who has been helping persons in French St. Martin, such as after Hurricane Irma, thanked the foundation for its assistance. Hodge-Shaw reached out to Tzu Chi and she was able to, on behalf of Tzu Chi, deliver items to the French Quarter Orphanage which has 30 children. She also delivered items to six elderly residents and was grateful to have also received some items to assist her to prepare meals for children. “Thank you very much for your kindness and for all those who have been involved in assisting in helping our people especially this time when the economy is very much down,” she said.
Tzu Chi’s donation efforts were not just a blessing for recipients. One volunteer, who lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, said it was a stressful time for her and she worried about her bills every day. After learning about Tzu Chi, she decided to become a volunteer. Helping others has filled her with love and gratitude and her stress has been replaced with joy and hope.
Another volunteer Sharon Brown said Tzu Chi has influenced a positive change in her life. Sharon said she has been helping persons all her life and the positive effects of giving of herself has manifested itself in her life during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when she was blessed with a much-needed reprieve. She is grateful to have found an outlet to continue helping others through Tzu Chi. “Finding the Tzu Chi Foundation was the best thing that happened to me,” she said.
Tzu Chi St. Maarten Commissioner Sandra Cheung is grateful to volunteers for their selfless efforts over the past year. “We feel so much relief that 2020 has finally, finally, finally ended. We are thankful for your participation in the Christmas emergency relief during the pandemic period. The relief was extended until December 31, 2020. We are grateful for Master Cheng Yen's support this year and know that we couldn’t have come this far without her,” Cheung said. “Let’s continue to keep up the good work and ensure that we can keep our aid going in the new year. With your help, we can make 2020 count in a way that sets the most vulnerable among us up for success and a future that’s filled with hope,” she added.
