In late 2024, severe flooding in Valencia, eastern Spain, claimed 217 lives and damaged many homes. Tzu Chi volunteers contacted local Taiwanese businessperson Yao‑Ming Chen (陳耀明) and, with his help, formed a team from ten countries and regions, led by German volunteer Frau Chen (陳樹微).
They met with city governments and groups such as the Altius Foundation and Caritas, then carried out aid card distributions in several flood‑affected towns, including Catarroja, Utiel, Chiva, Paiporta, Benedusser, Picanya, and nearby areas. According to family size, affected households received between 600 and 1,200 euros, benefiting 3,044 families.
A local volunteer steps forward in Picanya
When a later relief phase in Spain needed support for nearly 1,000 households, Spanish‑speaking volunteers were urgently required. Tim Lu (呂宗翰) and Debbie Pan (潘翠微) from Tzu Chi headquarters in Taiwan, along with a Da Ai TV crew, flew from Taiwan to Valencia to assist.
Volunteers designed flyers and life‑size boards with QR codes and placed them on busy streets to recruit local helpers. Through one of these boards, 72‑year‑old Picanya resident Monsha joined and soon opened her home as a local contact point, helping sort and distribute notices in an organized way.
In Picanya, the distribution was co‑hosted with the city government. Social services director Emilia brought her whole department for training. With city support and the local team led by Monsha, the two‑day distribution went smoothly.
For Monsha, this was eye‑opening. From the moment volunteers sat in her living room to discuss how to help local families, she felt they were walking the same path, delivering care to each home. Families repeatedly expressed gratitude for the aid and the volunteers’ work. She also felt that, had Tzu Chi come earlier, more people might have been helped.
Bamboo banks and kind‑hearted stores
After learning about the spirit of the “Bamboo Bank Era” to help relieve suffering through small donations, Monsha quickly embraced it. She understands that dropping a few coins into a bamboo bank each day is how we can “sow blessings,” and that even those with little can still give. She now encourages volunteers and aid recipients alike to keep a bamboo bank, letting small sums grow into meaningful help for others.
LEFT: Saving in a bamboo bank is seen as sowing blessings; even those with few resources are encouraged to give. RIGHT: Volunteers design posters and use simple coin banks from discount shops to invite “stores with love” along the streets to join the effort. | Photos: Tzu Chi Foundation
European volunteers from Germany, the UK, and Spain continue visiting flood‑affected families in Valencia and inviting shops to host donation boxes. With posters and plastic coin banks, they explain the bamboo bank spirit to business owners.
Frau Chen shares that, across six areas in Spain, 26 “stores with love” and one “vehicle with love” are now participating. In Picanya, Monsha helps collect filled bamboo banks from local shops. One round brought in 548 EUR, which was designated for survivors of Typhoon Ragasa in Hualien, Taiwan. She said that since Taiwan helped Spain, local residents also want to help when Taiwan faces disasters.
Finding the roots in Taiwan
Besides volunteering locally, Monsha already runs a food bank and counseling courses in Picanya. When she later traveled to Taiwan with Spanish volunteers to learn more about Tzu Chi, she was deeply moved by meeting Master Cheng Yen and seeing the work at its source.
She admired the Master’s wisdom and vision and was most touched by the Silent Mentor program, which brought her to tears. She said the Master’s philosophy combines deep wisdom with boundless compassion and expressed gratitude to both Master Cheng Yen and the volunteers who traveled to Valencia’s towns to accompany Spanish volunteers.
Local volunteers grow from survivors
Before the flood, there were no Tzu Chi volunteers in Spain. Yao‑Ming Chen, now 63, accompanied volunteers into disaster areas and helped connect them with local governments and Caritas, and he continues to volunteer.
He believes the smooth relief effort reflects Master Cheng Yen’s compassionate strength. Seeing the Master’s portrait respectfully displayed in a Catholic church deeply moved him as a rare connection. He was also impressed by how the Master explains Buddhist teachings in step with modern life, showing their practical power. Chen hopes to share more Tzu Chi stories with local residents and invite more to volunteer.
European volunteers helped set up a temporary office in Valencia—clean, calm, and spacious. Local volunteers now lead regular activities such as seed meetings, training and study sessions, daily viewings of “Da Ai Headlines,” weekly humanities activities, and charity visits.
LEFT: Volunteers place activity posters at the entrance for passersby to see; volunteers then approach to share more about Tzu Chi. RIGHT: Every morning, volunteers watch “Da Ai Headlines” together and listen to Master Cheng Yen’s teachings. | Photos: Tzu Chi Foundation
UK volunteer Soh Chin Ong (王素真) arranges group study and training for local volunteers, sharing Tzu Chi’s spirit and culture. On September 7, 2025, seven volunteers joined the first training session, learning how to properly wear and fold volunteer vests.
UK volunteer Hsin‑Ling Liang (梁欣伶) plans monthly home‑visit days and teaches volunteers how to fill out visit records. In September 2025, visits were held over two days, with teams including a lead volunteer, a recorder, and a photographer, plus an experienced Tzu Chi commissioner for support.
LEFT: Before monthly visits, Frau Chen and Hsin-Ling Liang give brief reminders to the visiting team. RIGHT: One care recipient lost his wife three years ago, has limited mobility, and rarely goes out. Volunteer Susanna offers warm company and support. | Photos: Tzu Chi Foundation
Love and companionship are Tzu Chi’s most moving mark. By bringing experience from Taiwan, volunteers in Spain not only provide material aid, but also plant seeds of compassion so that the strength to do good grows locally and new blessings can arise in the community.
Written by Hsiang-Hui Huang (黃湘卉)
Translated by Mindy Chen (陳敏理)
