Charity work is the fundamental mission of Tzu Chi. Since the past decade, following the footsteps of Master Cheng Yen, volunteers of Tzu Chi Singapore branch have reached out to numerous disadvantaged families and individuals in the dark corners of the garden city with compassionate kindness. 

Within six years from 1999 to 2005, 535 families have benefited from the assistance provided by Tzu Chi in the forms of moral support, medical assistance, living subsidies, as well as emergency aid.  A total of more than 104 relief distributions were allocated to the needy. The volunteers also made scheduled visits to welfare organizations and homes, be it rain or shine. In times of emergency, the Foundation offered timely help and comfort to the affected parties when they needed it the most.

Through participating in various relief and assistance efforts, Tzu Chi volunteers gained a deeper insight into life sufferings.  Their work evoked deep compassion and love, which transformed into actions that soothed the sufferings.

The Charity Mission of Tzu Chi Singapore includes relief charity and institutional care.  To make sure help gets to where it’s most needed, careful assessment are conducted before the Foundation decides on how to provide long term subsidies or emergency aid. Volunteers then follow up with home visits to the beneficiaries / recipients to offer them with continual emotional support.

The home visit volunteers are the key persons in charity work. Though not professionally trained, these volunteers try their best answering to people’s calling for help in the dark corners of society. The regular home visits conducted by the volunteers not only bring care and concern to the beneficiaries, they also assess the actual situation of the beneficiaries so as to render help appropriately. Besides improving their physical and social well beings, the visits also help the beneficiaries to regain self-confidence and hence be more self-dependent.

The volunteers also pay regular visits to several welfare organizations and homes to offer help in cleaning up the environment as well as providing comfort and putting up entertaining performance to bring laughter to the residents. Tzu Chi Singapore branch currently has scheduled visits to 8 institutions which include Sun Love Home, Geylang East Home for the Aged, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, HCA Hospice Care, SILRA Home, Children’s Cancer Foundation at NUH, Institute of Mental Health and the Cerebral Palsy Centre at the Spastic Children’s Association School.

In 1999, Tzu Chi started providing care to AIDS patient. Since end of year 2004, the Singapore Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC) has referred many cases of AIDS sufferers who are unable to afford the high medical costs to the Foundation for assistance.  By the end of year 2005, the foundation has provided monetary assistance for medicines to 44 such families.  Regular gatherings were also organized for the patients and their families to help build their long-lost confidence and pride.

Whenever tragedy strikes, Tzu Chi volunteers often respond swiftly by providing the necessary help and support to victims and their families with relief cash distribution or chanting for the dead.  They have helped to comfort the wounded hearts of the families.

In 2003, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) sent waves of panic throughout the Singapore community. In facing the fearsome epidemic, Tzu Chi members sent wishes to the beneficiaries by presenting SARS prevention gift bag and greeting cards to their homes.

Master Cheng Yen speaks of Tzu Chi volunteers as people “who are embedded with the gene of compassion”.  They work constantly towards relieving the poor and educating them to stand on their own feet, as well as to inspire the rich to give to the poor.  In this way, the needy are secured and the rich would be blissfully happy.