NEW YORK – After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, volunteers from Tzu Chi USA traveled there to bring disaster relief. Now, on the 10th anniversary of this disaster, which killed nearly 300,000 people in the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, Tzu Chi USA is hosting a grand opening reception for its new photo exhibit, “Keeping Hope Alive: 10 Years of Care in Haiti.” It will take place on Sunday, January 12, 2020, from 1:30-4 p.m. at the Tzu Chi Center at 229 E 60th Street, New York, NY 10022.
The exhibit will feature 100 photos showcasing Tzu Chi USA’s large- and small-scale relief efforts that have taken place since the earthquake took place and how compassion has taken root among Haiti’s most neglected and impoverished populations.
As part of the organization’s immediate efforts after the earthquake, Tzu Chi USA held eight medical outreaches, serving more than 15,000 patients for free with quality medical, dental, and alternative medicine care. They also held 84 distribution events, benefitting nearly 196,000 residents.
The long-term relief project led to the reconstruction of four schools, including the College of Marie-Anne (both an elementary and secondary school), Christ the King Secretarial School, and the Kindergarten Durocher (which is located in Solino, one of Port-au-Prince’s most impoverished and crime-riddled neighborhoods). All were fortified using quake-resistant building techniques. Tzu Chi USA also began providing shoes for school children, and throughout, they have distributed 900 tons of rice annually across four major distribution missions per year, garnering the help of more and more impassioned local volunteers to make it happen.
Those wishing to attend the grand-opening reception are asked to RSVP at tzuchi.us/center/haiti10years. The exhibit ends March 15, 2020.
About Tzu Chi USA
Tzu Chi USA is a humanitarian non-profit NGO with the missions of charity, medicine, education and humanistic culture at its heart. Its footprint of aid at the forefront of poverty reduction and disaster relief has reached 100 countries since 1966. In the USA, Tzu Chi has provided care and support after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, the Louisiana floods, Hurricane Sandy, 9/11 and more on-going relief efforts domestically and internationally. To learn more, visit: www.tzuchi.us.
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