Since its inception on February 2009, the Tzu Chi recycling point at Yuhua Community Club (CC) has been enjoying the support of volunteers from Tzu Chi’s South 2 Zone and Yuhua CC alike. The most enthusiastic and devoted among them was none other than Grandpa Yu Zong.
Despite at an old age of 80, Grandpa Yu has been enjoying good health and actively participating in many social events organized by the Yuhua CC. During one of the eco-awareness talks conducted by Tzu Chi at the Yuhua neighbourhood, Grandpa Yu learnt that recycling is not only beneficial to the environment, the profits made from the effort could also be channelled to help the underprivileged, which is what Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore Branch) is endeavouring in its “Seeds of Hope” bursary programme, helping needy primary and secondary students with their meal and transport expenses.
Since then, Grandpa has been collecting recyclable items in his neighbourhood and storing them in a designated room at the void deck of Block 246 in Yuhua, a room used by the grassroots members of Yuhua community for the same purpose.
And on every Tzu Chi recycling day on the second Sunday of every month, Tzu Chi volunteers would use a small truck to help transport the recyclable items collected by Grandpa to Yuhua Community Club for collective classification.
Due to the rather big quantity, the volunteers usually have to make two trips to bring all the items to the recycling point. It really puzzled the volunteers how Grandpa managed to collect such a sizable amount of recyclable items. The senior explained that the cardboard boxes were all collected from the shop houses near his residence block. Apart from that, he will pick up recyclable items while taking his stroll in the neighbourhood and later keep them in the store room. If the items were too big, he will seek help from passers-by, thereby educating them to contribute to the protection of the Earth as well!
Whenever asked about his enthusiasm for the work, Grandpa says simply, “It is a very meaningful thing to be able to contribute to charitable cause!”
Tzu Chi volunteer Chang Cheng Chang was deeply touched by Grandpa’s continuous efforts. “Grandpa is always the first to show up and the last to leave for all recycling activities,” he noted, “and he is full of perpetual enthusiasm.”
“What is more, Grandpa chooses to help the poor by participating in Tzu Chi’s recycling activities though he could have made money for himself directly by selling those recyclable items to the others.”
On the first day of this Lunar New Year, Grandpa suddenly felt sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment. It turned out that the uneasiness was caused by a brain cancer that was only discovered that day!
Before Grandpa lapsed into a coma, he told the community club members who came to visit him that he wanted to meet with the Tzu Chi volunteers.
On the following day, upon learning the news, the Foundation quickly gathered over 10 volunteers to visit Grandpa in the hospital. The volunteers leaned next to Grandpa’s ear and whispered into his ear to cheer him on. They even sang the lively Tzu Chi tune “Everybody Does Recycling” to encourage him to stay strong.
To convey their well wishes to Grandpa, the volunteers chanted Buddha’s name after obtaining consent from Grandpa’s family members and the hospital. Despite still being in a coma, Grandpa’s fingers started to tremble and his body also responded to the chanting.
Grandpa regained his consciousness on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and his conditions started to improve with the medical treatment rendered. The senior even recalled to the volunteers that he could hear their chanting of Buddha’s name while he was in coma!
The volunteers continued to visit Grandpa at the hospital and after he was discharged. Having missed his participation in the recycling work during the hospitalization, a determined Grandpa told the volunteers that he would continue his efforts upon his discharge from the hospital and even made a vow that he will bring a few friends to join him in the work.
Brother Chang related that Grandpa’s wife and daughter could not understand his commitment to recycling work initially, but they have since become understanding and supportive of him after Tzu Chi volunteers explained to them that Grandpa has been contributing to the protection of the Earth everyday.
Though the Yuhua CC Tzu Chi recycling point has ceased operation since last December, the bond between Tzu Chi volunteers and Grandpa is still going strong. We look forward to welcoming Grandpa back to our recycling activities when he gets well!
On every Tzu Chi recycling day, Tzu Chi volunteers help Grandpa transport his collection of recyclable items with a small truck to the Tzu Chi recycling point at Yuhua CC for classification.
Tzu Chi volunteers visiting Grandpa while he was hospitalized.
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