A Taiwan-based Buddhist charity attempts to take the founding nun’s message of compassion global

HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — When a 7.4-magnitude earthquake ripped through Taiwan in April, it took about 30 minutes for the region’s most ubiquitous charity to set up an emergency response center.

Tzu Chi, an international Buddhist organization led by an 87-year-old nun, the Venerable Cheng Yen, and her followers, sprang into action. They prepared hot meals and assembled necessities for survivors and rescue teams, from drinking water and energy drinks to blankets, beds and tents.

The nuns reside in the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, the quake’s epicenter on the island’s east coast. It is also the spiritual home of the global organization, which is supported by millions of members across 67 countries, including the United States.

In 1966, Cheng Yen — touched by lack of access to basic health care in the beautiful yet economically underdeveloped region — started Tzu Chi, inviting local housewives to save 50 Taiwanese cents each month.

Today, the charitable foundation organizes relief operations globally. In Taiwan, it runs hospitals, a medical school and its own cable television channel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, amid a nationwide scramble to get people immunized on the island of 23 million, the foundation used its members’ influence across health care and other business sectors to buy 5 million vaccines.

Within Taiwan, Tzu Chi is known for its earthquake relief efforts. Globally, it has built a network of movers and shakers whose work ranges from disaster relief and building schools, houses of worship, homes and hospitals, to refugee resettlement and feeding the hungry. The organization has had a significant presence in the U.S. since 1989 with programs in 80 locations run by paid staff and about half a million volunteers.

The