Tzu Chi USA Mid-Atlantic Region

10/28/2026

Three years ago, a retired neighbor came to our Cedar Grove, NJ, food distribution to pick up groceries. He returned every Friday for three months, and he liked what he saw so much that he asked one of the managers if he could help. 🙌

Now, he’s still here every week, checking IDs and making sure each family receives the support they need. 🥕🍞

Why does he keep coming back? The people.

💬 “These people are really good people... very disciplined and very upright. I’m really happy, let’s just say.”

Thank you to all our volunteers who show up week after week to serve our community with love and gratitude. 🙏

🌱 Find an event or volunteer opportunity near you: https://tzuchi.us/events

10/27/2026

Behind every bag of groceries in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, there’s a volunteer who cares. At Tzu Chi, volunteers sort peanut butter, jelly, pancake mix, rice, cereal, and canned goods, then pair them with fresh vegetables to make balanced, ready-to-go packages for families in need. 🥫🥕

For our volunteers, giving back isn’t just something they do; it’s something that fills their hearts. As one shared, “I feel a sense of reward now that I’m doing this.”

One box, one bag, one act of service at a time. 🙏

Want to join us? Find events and volunteer opportunities: https://tzuchi.us/events

10/21/2026

For almost 10 years, our food pantry volunteers in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, have shown up week after week, not out of obligation, but out of love. 🥕🍞

Each morning, the parking lot fills with cars as families, neighbors, and friends wait for a little extra help to get through the week. 🚗

To serve them better, volunteers introduced ID cards that let recipients move through quickly and easily, so they can get their food without the long wait. 🪪✨

Donate and support food relief and our other charitable endeavors: https://tzuchi.us/donate/mid-atlantic

10/02/2026

At Tzu Chi's weekly food pantry in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, volunteers serve neighbors who are struggling and need a helping hand. For one volunteer, it began when her mom invited her to come along. She loved it so much from day one that she brought her husband, and now his mom joins them too.

Three generations, one shared purpose: giving back to the community. As one volunteer puts it, "When you leave here, you know that you've helped some people out."

Learn more about our events and volunteer opportunities here: https://tzuchi.us/events

09/12/2026

09/11/2026

Twenty-Five Years Later, We Remember 9/11

On September 11, 2001, two planes struck the North and South towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, claiming nearly 2,977 lives in the deadliest incident on American soil since Pearl Harbor. In the chaos and grief that followed, Tzu Chi was one of the only three charitable organizations, alongside the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, granted access to Ground Zero. This opportunity was made possible by Huei-Ju Lin, a Tzu Chi volunteer who used her hospital volunteer ID to get into Ground Zero and brought Tzu Chi and the other charity organizations together.

Tzu Chi volunteers from New York, Long Island, and New Jersey came together to deliver bottled water to relief workers laboring through the wreckage. Tzu Chi USA’s CEO at the time, Austin Tsao, reached out to various relief organizations to explain that Tzu Chi could provide immediate cash assistance. His efforts helped secure a service desk at Pier 94, where Tzu Chi volunteers could directly assist the families of victims. In the weeks that followed, Tzu Chi set up service stations not only at Pier 94, but also the Chinese Community Center in Chinatown and the New Jersey Office of Recovery, ultimately distributing $2.7 million in direct aid to families affected by the tragedy.

Twenty-five years later, we honor the lives lost, the first responders who gave everything, and the survivors who carried unimaginable grief forward. We remain grateful for the chance to have stood beside our community in one of its darkest hours.

09/04/2026

Looking for a meaningful way to give back? 💙

At Tzu Chi USA in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, volunteers come together with one shared purpose: serving others with compassion and kindness. From community events to humanitarian outreach, every helping hand and every act of service can make a difference.

More than giving your time, volunteering with Tzu Chi means becoming part of a caring community committed to creating positive change. As one volunteer shares, it’s a welcoming place filled with friendly people, and you always know you’re helping someone in need.

Ready to experience the joy of giving back? Join us in Cedar Grove or elsewhere and help bring hope to our communities, one act of kindness at a time. 🙏❤️

Explore volunteer opportunities and other events: https://tzuchi.us/events

08/30/2026

💙 What can begin as a few volunteer hours can grow into a lasting commitment to serving others.

At Tzu Chi USA’s food pantry in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, one young volunteer first joined while in high school to complete service hours. Now in college, he continues returning, not because he has to, but because he discovered a strong sense of community and the difference he can make for neighbors in need.

From distributing boxes of fresh food to guiding cars through the pantry, young volunteers play an important role in helping food reach local families while learning the value of compassion, gratitude, and giving back. Every helping hand can make a difference, and every act of service can inspire another. 🌱

Help families in need stay free from hunger: https://tzuchi.us/donate/mid-atlantic
See our upcoming food distribution events: https://tzuchi.us/events/nj-food-pantry?i=1180011

08/21/2026

Every week, compassion is put into action at our food pantry in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. 💙 Through partnerships with local food banks, Tzu Chi USA Mid-Atlantic Region volunteers help provide nutritious food to neighbors in need.

Hear from some of our young volunteers about what inspires them to lend a hand and serve their community. 🌱

Donate and support our food pantries and other charitable efforts in the Mid-Atlantic Region: https://tzuchi.us/donate/mid-atlantic

08/16/2026

Every Friday, the doors are open, and so are our hearts. 💙

At our food pantry in Cedar Grove, NJ, families from underserved communities across Northern New Jersey arrive to receive nutritious food and compassionate support.

With food insecurity continuing to affect our neighbors, Tzu Chi volunteers serve up to 500 families, distributing fresh produce, dry goods, canned food, and other essentials to help households put food on the table.

Week after week, we’re here to remind our neighbors that they don’t have to face hardship alone. Everyone in need is welcome.
📍 Cedar Grove, NJ

Help families in need stay free from hunger: https://tzuchi.us/donate/mid-atlantic
See our upcoming food distribution events: https://tzuchi.us/events/nj-food-pantry?i=1180011