 I'm excited to journey with you as we learn how to take your health back. Today we shall hear from the heart of an international organization that is near and dear to my heart. Tsuchi Foundation has been serving the world unconditionally without borders for decades. Don't feel bad if you haven't heard of Tsuchi Foundation. Today, Dr. Shirley Chen will enlighten you with the heart of Tsuchi. After this talk, you will feel their hearts and you will be asking, how can I too be a part of this dynamic group as they make a positive difference throughout the world? We hope that many will learn with Tsuchi how to make our communities healthier by taking on a healthy lifestyle. Please welcome Dr. Shirley Chen, Volunteer Director for Medical Development for Tsuchi Foundation. Welcome Dr. Shirley. Hello, everyone. I'm so excited. There's so much to talk about and so little time, but let's get started. So, Dr. Shirley Chen, please share a little about yourself and why you do what you do. All right. So people call me Dr. Chen, Shirley or Dr. Shirley Chen. Don't even ask me. That's my Chinese nickname. Anyway, Shirley will be good. Anyway, I'm Dr. Shirley Chen, retired dentist from my own practice 30 years. And since 1986, also it's been a while. And nice to see you all here and great to see Hawaii friends in the local area. All right. So in that photo, that slide that we had up, we have a, is that, are those your two children? Yes. And do they volunteer side by side with you? Yes. Yeah. Alrighty. So let me see. Now, from a medical career to charity work. I know you gave up your practice in medical practice from practicing as a dentist to a volunteer. So remember everyone, she's a volunteer director for medical development for Tsuchi. Why did you make this career change? It's been a while for practice 30 years and also volunteer for close to 30 years. We realize that life is not just the working. It's also to give it out of the needed people near you and also help it out of the friend of the community. To expand that for medical career, I choose to have more hands to go different area. And Tsuchi is a nice place and locations that serve me a lot of compassionate work. So that's why I switched from my career to more dedicated work. I didn't give it up my career yet. But through the medical outreach, I can reach a more charity, humanistic and also international. So I make it a lot of change, but still, instead of that, that voluntarist and spirits. Wow. So you gave up a medical practice, but now you're getting even more rewarded with all the love and the compassion that you are able to give out. And the best part I know doctor is that you're able to receive a lot of love and compassion from the people that you're serving. So I'm so excited of your career change and just congratulate you for doing that with the community. I know we mentioned a lot about Tsuchi and many people don't know what Tsuchi is. And in the beginning, I thought it was Tsuchi. So to help people remember what is Tsuchi, I would tell them just try to remember Tsuchi, but then it was the TZU Tsuchi. And that's what we want to talk about today, the heart and the thoughts about what is Tsuchi. So in our next slide, we see Master Cheng Yan, who is the founder of Tsuchi Foundation. The mission is to bring peace and joy to the world. Please enlighten us, Shirley, with the mission of Tsuchi and Master Cheng Yan. Master Cheng Yan in 1966, she established the Buddhist foundation to help the people and relieve suffering. And she wants each person to think about helping others every day as the more they want it, through the words and actions spread to people to people, participants. She also asks her disciples to make it all the people are capable to the same great compassion as the Buddha. So that's how our Master Cheng Yan's spirits give us the mission to spread the seeds of love to everyone of the world. And the logo of the Tsuchi on your left hand side, you can see that special logo from the side is several components, each with a symbolic message about missions. There's a lot of flowers with eight petals, the fruit within the flower, and inside that, a shoe. The Tsuchi logo includes a lot of similar things here, flowers and fruits. This symbolizes how we can make the world a better place by constantly planting the good seeds. Only with such seeds can flowers bloom and bear fruit. The Tsuchi volunteers listen to and receive the Dharma and then go out to serve and transform others. That's how the Master's teaching and the eight petals of the lotus symbolize the noble path of the Tsuchi volunteers use as their guide. That's what it's about. There's such a deep meaning behind everything. We just think it's a lotus or the ship, but of course everything has purpose and meaning. And I want to say I learned about Tsuchi in 1998, and I was very privileged to volunteer alongside Stephanie Fan and her husband and the rest of the dynamic volunteers. I also learned that I know everybody wants to volunteer, but they have to watch when you come into Tsuchi, they watch you and they want to cultivate a servant's heart, that we want to serve and give back unconditionally without receiving anything back. And so that would qualify you in my heart as a Tsuchi volunteer. And then the next step is when you continue to give and give and just doing more for not just the community for the world and not having anything to get personal gain. I thought that was the best part about Tsuchi is that these members of volunteers of Tsuchi just continue to give back unconditionally. And I remember Master Cheng Yan developed this foundation, this whole spirit of Tsuchi in this town of Hua Lian. Is that correct, Dr. Shirley? Correct. Right. And I remember I want to say that she saw the need for the community to have medical care and someone was being turned away, and she said no, no one should be turned away from medical attention. And so I believe, did she not cut these bamboo? She cut the bamboo and she made them into bamboo banks. And she gave them to all the towns, people, all the women, everyone in the community. And she asked that every day you make a little donation for someone who has less. And we're talking a lot of people who are not abundance financially, but they were to sacrifice a penny or coin every day. And then they would collect these banks and they would put it towards a building facilities like a clinic. And I believe they build hospitals and universities with all these donations that people gave daily from their heart. And so that's what the heart behind Tsuchi is all about, not just giving them a big check and say, good, I did my job. They look, they're looking for everyone's heart to be changed to be compassionate and to serve unconditionally. And that's the beauty of what Tsuchi is all about in my heart. I so resonate with all of that. In fact, I still have my bank, my bamboo bank and that we fill up, you put the money in here. And then we donated back to Tsuchi and that's how they continue to thrive. And we'll talk more about that in a little bit. So I know that Tsuchi does worldwide disaster relief, Shirley. So I know that Tsuchi volunteers were very busy last year till today. Please share with us. What has Tsuchi been up to in the last few months? That's just a very great word to hear you had a bamboo bank with you all the time. You still remember how to put in the money donated to the local and they will use the money to help it out the others. Through this humble giving and the spirit growing in your mind, we still have everybody to know you are not just giving out, you are not just receiving and also giving out. That's your compassion is the seeds growing through it. And with this small amount of money for everybody, we can provide it the relief. And that's why so many countries, 50 countries in the world and the relief for medical relief or every kind of disaster relief for close to 80 countries around the world. And the last year it was really bad, especially in the United States domestic, no matter what state is, but in California really has a big numbers comes out. Even now there has a variant around that. So we do in the beginning of last year, we do give it out a mask and the PPE and we also give it out not just only the community, we give it out of the hospital, we give it out a lot of. Even the department department or anything school or any facilities that needs it. And besides that, we give it out the antibody test, and we give it a bus in it. We have a clinic in Los Angeles, and they give it out a bus in a shot close to 5,000 this until now. And also, we show people how to eat right, given them that's the, that's the pick the, the vegetarian bandone we also show people to eat right and ask them to not to eat, not to eat any more food, we give it out the fram-based foods and give it out as the food for those people in low income. So overall the work from our community society is not just only helping out the people who are the vaccinated, we also help enough for those people in need at home. Wow. I know whenever there is a disaster, I'm always thinking of the G and, and you know, I know it's amazing I try to point this out to people, even though I'm not active every day with the G. Speaking of the G daily to everyone I meet and just, just reminding them when you see the screen on TV or when you see different disaster or events, look for the blue and white because your volunteers are always wearing blue polo shirt white collar and white pants, and just there to serve and not just just that immediate moment, but you also stay on the environment for days and months after to continue to follow up with the victims and making sure that they are all doing well and thriving. And so that's the heart is the G not just to be there at the day or the minute of disaster, but to continue on. So I know that the G Hawaii has a large volunteer presence. How has the local office in Honolulu assisted with COVID-19 since it began. Honolulu and we try to see if you've been out of food distributed and Honolulu doing the same thing. They give it out of the food and special for veggie, veggie base to give them out for them. And that's the, that's the way I talk about it. And you can see the picture shows the heart. They have held a drive through instant rice and food distribution from the August till the December 2020 at the, I believe the Hamuki office right. That's correct. Yeah, that Hamuki office and then they are doing they also help the people in local and California local area doing the same thing. People are afraid to to get touch each other keep social distance and we do also help without the food distribution as well. Wow. And I know in the is a Buddhist organization. They try to encourage eating plant strong or vegetarian vegetarian diet. And I think that's so important and that's why I resonated so well with with this organization is because my desire to eat that strong became greater and greater. And of course, the volunteers is to cheat are not only compassionate but they're great books. So the food that we eat. Well, we're volunteering or while we're serving or whatever we're doing the volunteers they're just, I don't know what it is maybe it's all that love that they're putting into their food that it just sends every dish over the top. And it fuels us to do more and be more because the food is so great, and it's all very healthy. So you can eat and taste food tastes good and it's healthy at the same time. What a what a combination right surely. Yeah, right now I'd like to introduce to to you. He's a representative for the 20th district. His name is Jackson Sayama, who happens to be one of the younger representatives serving in Hawaii. Surely, please share with others. Why representative Jackson is being mentioned right now. I believe that Jackson. He graduated from Siji Sunday Chinese school. That was the young, he was a young representative in Hawaii right. That's correct. Yeah, and in Kamuki district isn't it. And he also came to volunteer at the distribution through Kamuki Never Food for West Webpages and he promised to come more often to volunteers out for helping people too. But it's definitely a Stephanie fan that's already spoke to him, and he's really want to participate more and help the people in need to. Right. And so that's part of what they do at Siji as well they not just feed as well and we do work hard, but they also cultivate the young generation to live and work with respect and dignity, so that they can continue this these qualities within themselves so they can pass it on to the next generation and I think that is so important. And with a man like Jackson. His heart is truly to help the houseless, and I know he works tirelessly with other organizations like Twinkle at the wine I bolt harbor, and I know a lot of the people of the leaders of the houseless communities have great respect for Jackson so we're so grateful that he's in our district and we're in his district so that we can work side by side with him and have very great and positive outcomes. So, let's move on. I know that Siji has a heart for the houseless community, and I know that they do many many feeding throughout the world. Can you share with us a little bit about this. Yeah, this is a serving part meal for the homeless. As you know, that's the, as you know, the city has been doing a lot of home meal to serving the people in need everywhere in the country. We also serve the California and around the country. When did you know the picture of this. So this was a while ago, and I was when I was actively volunteering. This looks like a park. And that's where we used to do a lot of our vegetarian feedings as well as all the moana park until the city wouldn't let open feedings in the park. So we then partnered with Lanakila Health and IHS and other kitchens as we prepared vegetarian dishes to be served to the houseless friends and guess what, our houseless community love the food as well. And so we didn't really tell them that they were eating vegetarian food, but you know what they just loved it and I would take them on the side and just tell them you know what this was not just a meal created with loving hands, but it's also a vegetarian meal that will continue to eat on this kind of direction. Your bodies will really thrive and really respond well, so that they I was also trying to encourage them to come by and see how we can help them further than just giving them a meal. But yes, they did experience great healthy food right there in the park and they were just blown away and they couldn't believe that it had no meat in it. So I was what an experience for all of us to have experience. So, Charlie, please explain this next slide. And please also translate what the message on the blackboard means. Oh, that's the, that's a really meaning to us. As you know, the blackboard shows the master genius, the teaching says, it says, we need to overcome difficulty and not to be overcome by them. We always share with the people we helped about how the donation from the small donations that you need to help around this world and help them. And around the United States office, many makers rise a dumpling to raise the other things and or anything to find to raise it for helping out the COVID-19 relief. And that is the bamboo bang in the minimum for just the one you show on on the you are really in hand and also these pictures. I believe the lady you know her right. What was the Friday happened all the time. Well, yeah, what happened was I didn't know I didn't know her personally, but in 2008 when there was that great flood, and there were days and days of flooding. So we saw the need because there were so many local homes that were damaged. So of course, to see is one of the organizations to first respond. So we went out there, and we assessed who needed help, and we have a simple criteria that we follow. And once determined that they do need help, then of course we'll give them a set amount of fee, as well as clean up products so that they can go home and, you know, they don't have to wait for anybody to give them assistance but yet they can go home and clean up themselves. So in 2008 that woman, she came and we qualified her and gave her some assistance. So until this past March, we again had massive floodings in that same area, and she came back, and she was a very, very grateful that we were back there again in fact I was thinking she was praying for us to get there, so that we could go and and give her assistance financially and even just morally just know that we're there to support her. And surely the neat thing is in 2008, like any disaster anywhere in the world, Tsuchi is I want to say one of the model, model organizations of recycling. And the reason I say that is because on that island, their island state of Taiwan, they recycle pretty much everything, and where it would be somebody's rubbish which is plastic bottles. They recycle these plastic bottles and then they make blankets and wraps. And these blankets and wraps are what we pack up. And when we go to disaster zones, we are distributing these blankets and wraps to keep them warm because lots of them lost everything in their code, and they have nothing. And so this woman in red she mentioned that in 2008 we did give her one of these plastic bottle wraps, and she still has them. And also, surely want to tell you that I have mine, and I don't know if you can see it clearly, but this is 50 recycled bottles water bottles. They take it they process it into microfibers, and they make them into wraps. You can see, I wear mine I travel with mine always. And Stephanie, we had an extra one or two and she says Wendy you need to take one. And I said really and I was so blessed with this gift in 2008 that I have it in my car I travel with it and it's with me daily. And it reminds me as well and I share with everybody what this is made of and I treasure this. So like, like we always say this is a piece of trash, but it turned into my treasure, and it I treasure it as it keeps me warm. And it reminds me that we can continually give and give until we cannot give any more. So at that event on in 2008 we actually gave out about $50,000 to Holly Eva's disaster victims to help them get back on their feet. And so, what a great organization to represent to just stand side by side with. And I also want to let you know that sushi is labeled a VO AD, it's not bought like it's like acronym VO AD, a volunteer organization active in disaster. At the same time, there is a disaster anywhere in the world. Master Chen Yan will allow and summons her volunteers, wherever they are to go and assist to aid and assist and assess, and to give them love and compassion through their times of need. And so it is just dynamic I would say so for yourself, Dr Shirley giving up your medical practice and joining forces with to cheat. I think that was the right thing to do for sure. It's such a wonderful story to hear and I make my day is so cool. And it's the lady in great as the must be lucky to see you and you could give them a piece of the my form and give them the comfort, and also yours break it look good to you. It's a fashion statement and it's just plastic bottles, but it's brilliant. I believe that they made it a little bit bigger. I would take 75 bottles, and that would be considered a blanket, and we deliver blankets and wraps. And as I said they make the best travel companion, they're warm and they're light and I just love it and it's a great reminder of what the great love of sushi is all about. That's the biggest thing for today and make your life healthier. So touch. Yes, I know, I know that all of these I mean I know we recycle and we do a lot of things to generate income so that we can fund all the different programs that sushi does throughout the world, but I know that funds are always needed. So please share with us. Surely, most recently, how has been able to raise funds and where are these funds directed. The design of what I mentioned about the bamboo bank is to keep the people every day to donate it. And tomorrow, tomorrow we have a matching fund to raise up the funding to the COVID-19 India and also the Taiwan as you know this is the COVID-19 almost hit everywhere. The pandemic really, really happened in the war. Our Master Ching-Yen has been asking our disciples to help out the funding, helping the people in the world who are needed. So we do collected all the money from everywhere and that's the hope that the people. So this is one thing just upcoming the recently the Dragon Festival and we do have the people to making the donation through there. They're making the vegetarian rice dumplings and they in Hawaii and Hawaii and those chapters, they do have a thousand and thousand of the dumplings and collect the money to help the people in California, New York, Florida and Chicago, they do also doing the same thing. That's just a piece of the mind and do helping out a lot of people too. You can see the picture from there. That's the picture from Hawaii chapter two. Wow. So Shirley, I understood that they made about a thousand we call John. They made about a thousand of vegetarian Jonesy and it's what it is. It's steamed leaf wrap sticky rice dumplings, and they've made over a thousand. But the good news is they sold them all out and the bad news is they sold them all out. So good and bad is they made a thousand and they sold them and that money generated from that one event fundraiser will go to assist many different countries around the world like India and maybe Taiwan or different locations. And so that's the great thing. And I understand that this weekend they're going to be doing another fundraiser and they're cooking Jai again the good news and the bad news. It's so delicious. It's such a great vegetarian healthy dish that too has been sold out and you're all saying well they make more. So what we are wanting to do is we're going to do everything moderate because everything in moderation so they do a thousand and it takes a lot of labor of love there. And so when they sell that out, then they'll gear up for the next event and the next fundraiser and they do everybody is involved a little bit at a time and we're not out there to mass make it but we're just there to call to be more hearts to doing the right thing so that's what we want to do. So just stay tuned. We're going to give you some information now and how to get involved with the chief. So surely now that everyone's encouraged and motivated to come out and volunteer. How do we get someone to know more about the chief Before we end up the show today, I would encourage everybody by going out to help others and make a connection. We are making ourselves healthier. And this is the to see Hawaii website. Just go to www.to see that US the email going to be the Hawaii to see at to see that US and our number going to be 808 737 885 we are our friendly grateful people. Don't you are going to answer your phone and welcome you to be with us and we walk it out make our better mind bigger health and better lifestyle and make you happy every day. Wow. So surely we have to leave it for now. You've been watching taking your health back something tech Hawaii. We want to say Mahalo to surely can volunteer director of medical development for city USA. Thank you for talking story with us surely and sharing the heart of sushi volunteers and Mahalo to our viewers for watching. I'm Wendy Lowe will be back in two weeks with another edition of taking your health back. Aloha and Mahalo surely