CSULB Tzu Ching

1. Do I have to pay dues to become a member?

No! You do not have to pay a single penny to be part of our organization

2. Do I have to be Buddhist or Asian?

No! The Tzu Chi Foundation is an international organization that has volunteers from many different backgrounds, races, religions, etc.

3. Do I have to be vegan / vegetarian?

We promote environmental protection by having a vegan / vegetarian diet. This diet eliminates environmental pollution and shows compassion towards animals; however, you do NOT have to be vegetarian / vegan to be part of our organization

4. What's the difference between "Tzu Chi" and "Tzu Ching"?

Tzu Chi is our main international-relief organization. In Chinese, it means "Compassionate Relief".

Tzu Ching is the collegiate-level of Tzu Chi. In Chinese, it means "Compassionate Youth." We are the CSULB collegiate branch of Tzu Chi, hence we are called CSULB Tzu Ching. We are also sometimes called the Tzu Chi Collegiate Association of CSULB. Hopefully those terms aren't confusing!!

5. What is the uniform that you wear? How can I get one?

Tzu Chi members wear a blue Tzu Chi shirt, white pants, and white socks for their uniform. It signifies blue skies and white clouds. By wearing our uniforms, we are building a presence for those who are receiving our help

To obtain a uniform, you must reach 20 hours of volunteering across 4 unique events. This includes food distributions, medical outreaches, etc. General meetings, book club gatherings, and Dharma studies also count towards your hours. Social events DO NOT count. Hours carry over between semesters / years

6. My question wasn't answered here!

Feel free to send us an email at [email protected]! You can also join our Discord server to ask us any questions, or to socialize with us and other general members!

Charity

Tzu Chi provides food, clothing, shelter, direct financial assistance, and more. Transforming feelings of helplessness and despair into hope and empowerment, and bringing out the good in people through the happiness they discover when helping others is also our goal.

Medicine

Providing medical care to those who lack the means to pay was Tzu Chi’s priority from the start. Today, we have a comprehensive network of hospitals, mobile units, doctors, medical professionals and volunteers offering free healthcare. We value the wellbeings of patients, families, and medical teams equally.

Education

Tzu Chi has schools, colleges, and universities worldwide. The objective is to deliver superior education, and nurture virtue, kindness, compassion, and joy in selfless giving. With deep faith in human nature, we advance universal respect towards all people, regardless of race, culture, language or religion.

Humanistic Culture

Tzu Chi is dedicated to fostering humanistic culture through civil responsibility and personal character. Founded on Buddhist philosophy, we advocate the view that as individuals, we should aspire to be moral, self-aware, and willing to act for the benefit of others. We pacify negative emotions, develop love and compassion, and attain wisdom.

International Relief

We are accredited by the United Nations and mobilize to provide international disaster relief in a big way. Our volunteers arrive with immediate emergency necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies. We also offer direct financial aid to those in need. And, we’re on the ground for the long haul, rebuilding, setting up schools and water supply, offering free clinics, and more.

Bone Marrow Donor Registry

What better way is there to ease human suffering, than saving a life? Donating bone marrow can do that, with no harm to you. Tzu Chi facilitates the process of finding a genetic match for those who require marrow, by managing a Bone Marrow Donor Registry. We also have an umbilical cord blood repository and support ongoing stem cell research and gene therapy.

Environmental Protection

We believe that we can protect the environment through the choices we make and our behavior as individuals. We actively promote waste reduction and recycling. We advocate a healthy diet consisting of less meat and more fruits and vegetables. Living a simpler lifestyle and reducing our carbon footprint is crucial towards living in harmony with Mother Earth.

Volunteers

Putting compassion into action is at the heart of Tzu Chi’s mission. We have a global community of millions of volunteers selflessly sharing their time, applying their energy, and offering their individual capacity for the benefit of others. With their sincerity and love, volunteers make all our charity, medical, educational, international relief, and environmental protection programs possible.