The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

TZU CHI 126 27 volunteers. Besides taking care of their meals, they would also help the elderly volunteers purchase their daily supplies. Sook Kuen returned to the centre and took out some newspapers, burdocks, and green onions from a recycling bag. As she handed it over to an elderly volunteer, she said, “Sorry, I didn’t manage to get all the ingredients as some stalls had closed.” Sook Kuen is a housewife. Although she does not drive, she always helps the elderly volunteer with marketing. She said, “They need to cross the road to reach the market. I’m concerned for their safety and it’s not a big deal to help.” In addition, Sook Kuen and her fellow volunteers often celebrate birthdays for the elderly volunteers and host gatherings too. They cook delicious vegetarian food during the Chinese New Year, celebrating and taking care of the elderly volunteers as their own family. “I didn’t even treat my late parents this well,” claimed Sook Kuen. She married young and moved to Kuala Lumpur, while her parents remained in their hometown. She only visited them occasionally. After her parents passed away, she blamed herself for not fulfilling her filial duties. Now, she considers all the elderly volunteers in the centre as her own parents, to make up for her regret. “Got to go! Bye!” “Bye bye!” “Remember to take your lunch box home!” Boo Siek Foon, the volunteer in charge of the food, reminded. She was always attentive to everyone’s appetite and cared for the elderly volunteers just like a mother. At noon, the younger volunteers sent the elderly volunteers home. The lively and busy recycling centre regained its serenity. This place serves more than just a recycling centre. It is also a place for the elderly to make new friends and receive love and care. Sorting recyclables might be a small task, but the small act could snowball into saving our environment and eventually the planet, thus adding more value to their twilight years. Elderly volunteers dedicating their golden years sorting out recyclables at Tzu Chi recycling centre in Happy Garden, adding value to their lives. Tzu Chi’s Three Decades of Recycling