2018/06/15 Tzu Chi West Toronto
To bring our new Muslim acquaintances some familiar hometown tastes in their new country, Tzu Chi West Toronto volunteers prepared food packages that included almonds (to help replenish their energy quickly), honey (a main ingredient used for making sweets), sunflower oil, and dates.
On June 15, the second day of Eid al-Fitr, 60 heavy packages were delivered to the Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT) for our second donation of 2018. The volunteers were greeted with a warm welcome from ACCT’s Executive Director Huda Bukhari, who commented: “Without your support, and without your coming in to provide us with assistance, we as a not-for-profit cannot do anything. So we really have to thank you.” Ms. Bukhari then introduced Tzu Chi in Arabic to the recipients.
Shadi Shami, ACCT’s Community Engagement Counselor, said, “It’s about love, it’s about humanity. Allah ordered us to love each other, and to feed each other, and to feel the suffering of each other so that we can help each other. The same as you are doing today, [Tzu Chi] to our Muslim clients.”
After giving out the packages with utmost respect, Tzu Chi volunteers took some time to mingle with their new Muslim friends. Volunteer David Tang said that he was very grateful for the opportunity to build a new bridge of friendship. He indicated that through their conversations, they had discovered that some residents required extra support, so Tzu Chi would arrange to provide additional assistance based on their needs. David’s main take-away from that day was recognizing how blessed he is, and how he can share his blessings with those in need.