For more than three decades, the Southern Region Office of one of the largest international Buddhist organizations has operated out of Sharpstown in Precinct 4.
The Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation is a humanitarian organization that provides charity, medical, environmental, and disaster relief services. The foundation was established in 1966 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun, with the goal of helping people in need.
As the organization grew, her teachings spread, and a follower of Cheng began the U.S. chapter of the organization in California in 1989. Two years later, the Southern Region Office opened in Sharpstown.
“Sharpstown is the best place to be because our volunteers are mostly Taiwanese and other Asians,” said Julienne Chi, a Tzu Chi volunteer. “So naturally we assist a lot of Asians because of language and culture, but we serve all walks of life.”
A bustling neighborhood
Thirty years after the neighborhood was established in the , Sharpstown became home to a large Asian population, as residents and businesses from the original Chinatown migrated from East Downtown to Sharpstown.
Julienne has watched Houston’s branch of Tzu Chi grow since it began in 1991. She visited the new branch, then located in the director’s office off Wilcrest Drive, alongside her mother-in-law who has been an active Tzu Chi volunteer since the 1970s. Julienne officially became a volunteer a few years later when she moved to Houston for work.
“Sharpstown, from my eyes, has come a long way,” said Julienne. "It's more exciting and vibrant now than ever. To work and live in Sharpstown is a great thing.”
She and fellow volunteer Roger Lin remember when the thing to do in the area was visit the Sharpstown mall — H — now known as PlazAmericas. Today, people from across the Greater Harris County region come to Sharpstown for the endless restaurants, shops, and karaoke spots.
“It's international,” said Roger. “Everything you want to try, you can try it here.”
Lending a helping hand
One of the many ways Tzu Chi assists people throughout the region is by helping refugees rebuild by donating furniture, clothes, and bikes and connecting them with jobs.
“The last couple families that we have helped, some of them find a job, their life goes back to normal, and they start giving back,” said Roger.
Each month, the foundation hosts a food distribution, and lately, they’ve seen an uptick in the number of Hispanic families in attendance. Few Tzu Chi volunteers spoke Spanish, so the group was having trouble communicating. The solution was right in front of them.
“We were able to recruit and invite some of the recipients to come help us communicate,” said Julienne. “So that has been a delight to bring them on board. They have become our regular volunteers. We cannot do without them.”
Tzu Chi also provides financial assistance to people in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a Sharpstown family lost everything after their apartment caught on fire. The foundation stepped in to pay for a new apartment for a few months so the family could have a cushion as they recovered.
They don’t just help during disasters; Tzu Chi’s goal is to improve people’s daily lives. The foundation began its Happy Campus program in 2006 to help students at high-need schools. The Houston branch has partnered with nearby Landis Elementary to provide uniforms, winter clothes, and school supplies twice a year since 2009.
“When we visit with our items, we ask them to hold their hands out and then bow towards us,” said Julienne. “We're bowing to each other because we're both receivers. They're receiving the jacket, and we’re receiving their joy and gratitude. Seeing the smiles and the joy on their faces — they just keep on wanting to hug us, and it's just the sweetest moment.”
Tzu Chi is always looking for volunteers, said Julienne. If anyone is interested in giving back to their community, they can visit Tzu Chi’s volunteer page.