Ven. Ming Yu of American Buddhist Confederation on fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic

On Monday, during the 2020 James Parks Morton Interfaith Awards Gala, we are delighted to have the opportunity to present this year’s Faith Justice Hero Award to the President of the American Buddhist Confederation, the Venerable Ming Yu.

On Jan. 27, 2020 Ven. Ming Yu, President of American Buddhist Confederation sent an appeal to its members of Buddhist temples and Buddhist organizations, this appeal addressed that American Buddhists were very concerned about the development and wide spread of Coronavirus in Wuhan, China, it called for global prayers and donations. Rapidly, the first $50,000 donation was received and wire transfered to Huihai Public Welfare Group in China on Jan. 30, 2020 for helping Coronavirus’s relief in Wuhan and Hubei Province, China. Following that, a Buddhist prayer ceremony for protection, speedy recovery and cease of Novel Coronavirus was held in Sung Tak Temple, Manhattan on Feb. 1 and an additional $40,000 worth of donations were collected from local temples for purchasing and delivering protective medical supplies to Wuhan and Hubei Province.

On the evening of Feb. 21, 2020, the first medical supplies donated by American Buddhist Confederation arrived in Beijing, China. The shipment contained 8,350 pieces of surgical masks, 110 pieces of N95 masks and 3,000 pieces of medical gloves, had been coordinated through Ifeng Buddhism and Huihai Public Welfare Group and designated to Wuhan for preventing the spread of Coronavirus. This $20,000 worth of medical supplies were purchased with assistance from the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams from local suppliers.

Two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic became a global effect, and New York City was hit hard to become the epicenter. Without hesitation, Ven. Ming Yu called on the member temples and friends to show their loving kindness and helping hands to help New Yorkers get through the COVID-19 Pandemic. After the second appeal was sent out, American Buddhist Confederation received tremendous responses from local and overseas Buddhist communities. By March 31, more than $120,000 worth of donations were received for purchasing medical supplies for the first responders and frontline workers because there was a severe shortage of personal protective equipment.

The total donations are USD $193,500 and RMB 149,551 (about USD $20,960) plus various supplies which have been fully demonstrated as the great compassion of Bodhisattva’s spirit. American Buddhist Confederation’s task force of anti-Coronavirus first ordered N95 masks, surgical masks, protective gowns, protective face shields, protective goggles and medical gloves from ANA Resourcing, these supplies have been delivered by three teams to hospitals, police stations and fire departments. Later, also distributing supplies to low income families.

Although the Office of the Brooklyn Borough has been shut down for two weeks, in order to deliver these emergency supplies to frontline workers, President Adams personally came to Sung Tak Temple to pick up and deliver these medical supplies to various hospitals.

1) Seven deliveries to Brooklyn Borough Hall including: 2,280 pieces of N95 masks, 114,070 pieces of surgical masks and 7,500 pieces of medical gloves.

2) Delivered 3,200 pieces of surgical masks to Brooklyn Borough D.A. Office.

3) Delivered 1,125 pieces of protective gowns to Stony Brook University Hospital.

4) Delivered 840 pieces of N95 masks and 60 pieces of protective goggles to Mount Sinai Hospital.

5) Delivered 125 protective gowns to King County Hospital.

6) Delivered 500 pieces of protective gowns, 120 protective goggles and 5,000 pieces of medical gloves to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

7) Delivered 3,600 pieces of surgical masks, 250 protective gowns, 60 protective goggles and 3,000 medical gloves to Elmhurst Hospital.

8) Delivered 800 pieces surgical masks, 2,500 pieces medical gloves and 75 protective gowns to Dove Police Department in New Jersey.

9) Delivered 3,600 piece of surgical masks to Bronx SBH hospital.

10) Delivered 740 pieces of N95 masks, 2,000 pieces of medical gloves, 150 personal protective gowns and 600 pairs of protective goggles to the Emergency Room and the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

11) Delivered 900 pieces of surgical masks to Vietnamese temple.Despite the relentless disasters we are facing, our world is filled with love! Our work to fight the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing. We believe that only if we work together and help each other, we can overcome Coronavirus and have the final victory on fighting pandemic.

– Ven. Ming Yu, President of American Buddhist Confederation

Ven. Ming Yu and American Buddhist Confederation’s members holding a prayer
for people affected by Coronavirus in Wuhan at Sung Tak Temple – Manhattan on Feb. 1, 2020