By Chen Xiao-ying
Translated by Wu Hsiao-ting
Photos by Jiang Guo-an
Tzu Chi volunteers in Northern California, in the United States, have dedicated over a decade to promoting the Happy Campus program, providing supplemental tutoring, bolstering student attendance, and more. They maintain a long-standing partnership with Rosemary Elementary School in Campbell, Santa Clara County. Through this collaboration, volunteers have come to recognize the issues faced by many members of the local Hispanic community, such as undocumented immigration status, precarious or insufficient incomes, and an inability to cover insurance or medical costs. Beyond economic constraints, language barriers pose additional obstacles to accessing healthcare.
To help address these medical needs, Tzu Chi held its first community free clinic event at the school in October 2023, followed by another in March 2024. These clinics offered services such as traditional Chinese medicine, dental care, spinal health care, and dental hygiene education. Separate areas were set up for consultations, using privacy cubicles designed and produced by Tzu Chi. Spanish-speaking volunteers were on hand to provide translation services. The clinic plans to continue on a biannual schedule, held every six months.
