The world of Tzu Chi June 2024 (Vol.150)

TZU CHI 150 29 create collective blessings. The more people contribute, the greater the goodwill, and the more blessings will gather to avert disasters. Indeed, when customers spend at a Loving Store, they are also creating an opportunity for the store owners to voluntarily contribute part of their earnings into the coin bank, creating a virtuous cycle of giving. Loving store, count me in! April 28, 2024, marked the launch of the Loving Store campaign by Tzu Chi KL & Selangor. On that day, a Volunteer Diligence Day was held at the KL Tzu-Chi Jing Si Hall. At the end of the course, all the volunteers enthusiastically chanted, “Loving Store, count me in! A million Living Bodhisattvas, go, go, go!” and set out to sow seeds of kindness in respective communities. In the business district of Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, many business owners— perhaps grateful for Tzu Chi’s care and support during the catastrophic flood of 2021—warmly welcomed the volunteers and eagerly joined the ranks of Loving Stores. Yang Kim Hock, who runs a watch shop, is quite familiar with Tzu Chi and supportive of his wife’s commitment to Tzu Chi’s voluntary work. When volunteers invited him to participate in the campaign, he readily agreed, saying, “Placing a coin bank will provide many with the opportunity to perform good deeds and accumulate blessings, which is wonderful. During the severe flood over two years ago, Tzu Chi volunteers came and went door to door to help us, and everyone witnessed that.” He believes that the residents will be willing to contribute their spare change to support the charitable cause. The volunteers did not overlook any business owners, even inviting cobblers and seamstresses working on the five-foot ways outside the shops to join. Misniati, a seamstress, shared that she was one of the flood victims who received aid from Tzu Chi. Without hesitation, she joined the Loving Store, stating, “Doing good deeds transcends religion; as long as it is a kind act, that is all that matters.” The Loving Store campaign was met with both moments of joy and occasional rejection, but volunteers quickly reminded themselves that there were many more business owners waiting for them to reach out to. They have continued to promote the campaign wherever they go, envisioning each Loving Store as a gathering place for goodness, thereby nurturing goodwill and connecting the stores into a caring community network. [Photo by Gan Wee Meng] [Photo by Gan Wee Meng]