"Food is the foundation of life." Satisfying our basic needs through eating is natural and essential to human existence. Preparing food deserves respect. In almost every event organized by Tzu Chi, timely food and drinks are provided. It not only quenches our thirst and alleviates hunger, but is also an expression of the sincere and heartwarming spirit in which they are offered.
Hidden Heroes of Tzu Chi
While the food may not be gourmet, it is a symbol of love and sincerity. Participants in Tzu Chi activities, whether volunteers, guests, or care recipients, feel at home when they take a warm meal or sip a cup of tea.
The unsung heroes who accomplish this "sacred" mission are often unseen, and rarely in the spotlight. They are not the central focus of the event; instead, they silently, attentively, and joyfully devote themselves to their duties, cooking tirelessly amidst the rising smoke. They are like a shining light that illuminates others.
The kitchen is their spiritual sanctuary; they are known as the "Kitchen Volunteers."
The Power of Doing Good
Tzu Chi's Kitchen Volunteers not only contribute during regular activities and camps, but they also play an indispensable role in emergencies, small and large.
In February 1995, during the third day of the Lunar New Year, a gas explosion occurred in Banqiao, New Taipei City. The resulting fire affected many residents, causing panic and forcing many to evacuate. Tzu Chi volunteers swiftly arrived at the scene, spontaneously bringing cooking utensils, rice, and vegetables. They promptly set up a service station and cooked hot meals and snacks to replenish the energy of the firefighters and comfort the anxious hearts of the survivors.
Whether in the kitchen of Tzu Chi centers, a makeshift tent, or space borrowed from kind-hearted individuals, Kitchen Volunteers are seen, with headbands and masks, vigorously stirring and cooking dishes in the steam-filled air. Meanwhile, other volunteers are busy packing the hot meal boxes; others are eagerly waiting to deliver the meals, while some are busy organizing the ingredients.
Inside the kitchen, volunteers come and go, men and women, old and young. They may come from all walks of life, but they come together like an orchestra. The conductor's baton is the shared aspiration in everyone's heart: to offer fragrant and wholesome meals as sustenance for all beings and bodhisattvas in the ten directions.
Delicious Vegetarian Food Brings Salvation
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, Master Cheng Yen urged Tzu Chi members to adopt a plant-based diet as the best way to halt the spread of the virus. Many skillful Kitchen Volunteers wanted to provide simple yet nutritious and tasty vegetarian meals to encourage more people to embrace vegetarianism and care for our health and the planet.
Sign up to learn more about how you can become a volunteer:
