Charity knows no limits when disaster strikes

The disaster that struck northeastern Japan on March 11 shook members of the nation's foreign community in different ways.

Some booked seats on the next flight out; others decided to stay put.

Mako Hayashi was immediately on the phone, frantic to find a community where hot food was needed. She planned to deliver stir-fried vermicelli rice noodles and "mabo-dofu" tofu in chili-spiced sauce to needy people.



A long-time Tokyo resident, Hayashi hails from Taiwan. Her Chinese name is Rin Jyu-zu. She is a volunteer for the Tzu Chi Foundation, a Buddhist charity organization based in Hualien, Taiwan.

The organization claims 30,000 members in 40 countries, the majority distributed in Chinese-speaking nations. Almost 90 percent of the group's members are women, as is their spiritual leader, the nun Cheng Yen, who founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation in 1966.

Nearly 200 members make up the Japan chapter, almost all of whom are married to Japanese.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201103210099.html

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I love stories like this..