Stories of Camp Fire 2018

撰文: 鞠佩璇    照片：項才容

坐在外面等候叫號服務的21號Shirley Richards女士手上拿了一袋零錢，開心的跟志工攀談，幾天前當她第一次到訪服務中心，知道慈濟竹筒累積小錢來救人的故事，回去後馬上想到自己有這一袋零錢，今天特地帶來捐款。

滿頭白髮的雪莉奶奶很高興地說，這是她跟朋友在過去一年聚會玩牌娛樂時，每次勝利所得到的奬金，她很開心能派上用場，送來這裡幫助需要的人。

「一人一戶」，一對一的帶動
（撰文：陳寶如）

昨天近下午5點時，過了尖鋒人潮，惟成師兄很細心的，安排了一位新志工做在身邊，學習如何與受災民衆互動，進行現值卡「發放」，這叫shadow 。

新「發放」志工通常在巴士上已大概有看過發放「三重點」，然後現場再shadow 幾次，就可以單獨作業，期待培養更多能夠發放現值卡的志工。

新志工叫Stan, 小留學生，在矽谷著名網路設備公司NetApps 上班，太太是East Palo Alto 幸福校園，多年的大愛媽媽長期志工。 這一次互愛組長琇茹師姊很用心的邀請他來參加，也是他第一次慈濟活動。

在二次的shadow, 當受災民衆拿到慈濟現值卡時的感動落淚，也讓Stan 二次紅了眼眶，為他們圍上scurf ， 緊緊擁抱去膚慰。

之後與Stan 分享，如果少了這些傾聽、互動與膚慰，只是匆匆忙忙行事，就很可惜、錯過了珍貴的時刻，自己也很難會觸動。

因為他的觸動，也繼而聊起公司，趁機分享如何與Intel 工作部門的同事、老板做賑災的sharing, 得到不錯的迴響，包括麗珊師姊在蘋果公司部門也一樣，進而向同事介紹「一人一戶」的募心募款活動。 建議他也可以試試在NetApps 上班的部門去進行類似分享和推動「一人一戶」，因為這是他親自感受到、看到這現值卡，對受災民眾是何等的重要！

之後，有了感動，Stan 也終於勇於嘗試，獨自進行發放現值金，也會撥空參加接下來的發放。

誘茹師姊之後與我透露，當天Stan 真的很感動，也會與公司同事分享賑災心得和介紹「一人一戶」的募心募款活動，聽了真的很開心。

只是第一次來參加慈濟活動，就能有如此深的觸動，更願意在公司推動「一人一戶」，關鍵在於惟成師兄的細心，琇茹師姊的用心，讓新志工也可以rotate ，以shadow 的方式，進入更深的觸動，往後發心進入見習培訓、募心募款的力量會更大。

“Grief is a journey with a resolution”
Written and photos by Tina Tuan

On the morning of Nov 8th, 2018, when Gerald Smith first heard there was a fire nearby his home in Paradise, he didn’t think the danger was eminent since there was no evacuation order. So he went to his church where he serves as the Treasurer, to get key documents out, “just in case,” he thought. On his way home from the church, he knew something was terribly wrong, the heavy smoke had turned day into night, and he saw his house engulfed in flames. He was relieved to see that there was no car in the driveway so he knew his wife had fled already. He turned around and drove away as fast as he could.

Gerald saved his church’s key documents but none of his own. “I used to be a pastor and my wife Marie is a chaplain at the church,” said Gerald, a 72-year-old resident of Paradise. Later that morning, the couple reunited at their son’s home in Chico, grateful that both of them are alive.

On December 1st, Gerald and Marie came to FEMA DRC to receive Tzu Chi’s emergency cash card, they sat down at my station and shared the most horrific day of their lives. Marie said, “as a chaplain I do a lot of grief counseling, I always carry a grief cheat sheet in my purse, it’s very helpful at a time like this.” She explained to me that grief is a tangled ball of many different emotions - denial, pain, helplessness, abandonment, and everything else that is negative. Marie said, “grief is a journey, it’s a process, but it has a resolution.” Marie kindly offered the laminated cheat sheet to me and said, “you can have it and use it to help the others who come here.” I took a photo of it so I can have the information but she can keep the card with her. I can tell she needs it for herself.

Gerald and Marie are staying with their son’s family in Chico for now, but his son also took in two other families who were also evacuees. There have been lots of tensions for four families in a crowd space, so Gerald and Marie decided to go to Washington to stay with another family member. “Getting your cash card is the last thing we do at Chico, we will drive up to my sister’s in Washington now,” said Gerald. The couple were deeply touched by Tzu Chi’s story and wanted to take a photo with Master Cheng Yen’s portrait on display. “You guys are godsend,” said Gerald.

To start a new life in a new town at age 27 is exciting and romantic, but not quite so when you do it at age 72. Gerald and Marie are faithful people and believe God will guide them through. If grief is a journey then there must be an end to it. What’s the resolution of grief? It’s love, compassion, and the human spirit of everyone caring for one another.

It is hope.

12/2/2018 北加州Camp Fire災區中醫義診
撰文：中醫師黃香妮

今天一大早不到五點摸黑起床,摸黑出門,與一群慈濟的志工搭乘小巴士開了三個多小時的車程,來到了今年北加州史上最大規模野火肆虐造成傷亡慘重,許多人無家可歸,迄今還有八百多人住在臨時帳棚裡的重災區天堂鎮.

感謝慈濟的人醫會讓我有這個機會參與今天的中醫義診,得以貢獻個人之微薄心力,幫助災區居民稍稍緩解身心之創痛.

今天來診的居民有很多人是第一次接受針灸治療,許多人對中醫針灸的療效立竿見影,直呼神奇不可思議.疼痛當場緩解.
原本深鎖的愁眉也轉為笑逐顏開,請看下面附圖的燦爛笑容,當知所言不假.

今天親眼看到一位滿頭短白髮的老奶奶整隻左手被火灼傷,結痂未癒的粉紅色皮膚令人怵目驚心.據老奶奶描述:火災當時她駕車逃離家園,無奈車子被火苗波及,她跟兒子奮力推開車門時,手臂與頭髮遭火神親吻,那恐怖慌亂的瞬間,久久無法忘懷.

還有一位原本大火之前打算要搬家到別州的女士因為猶豫不決,結果一場大火燒毀了她所有的家當,如今她說用不著搬家了,全部都燒光了,只剩下一個人,一隻狗,一部車,說走就走了.令人不勝唏噓.

大多數的災民都罹患了PTSD創傷後壓力症候群,有人失去了家園,有人失去了親愛的家人,寵物......療愈創傷,重建家園,劫後餘生還有漫漫長路要走......

水火無情,人生無常,請在心中為災民們祝福,也請好好珍惜與心愛的家人朋友們相處的每一個時刻.