Gary Ho is proud of Tzu Chi Canada’s record in reducing garbage going into the waste stream. In a recent phone interview with the Georgia Straight, the CEO of the Buddhist compassionate relief organization outlined his recycling goal for this year’s TAIWANfest, which takes place in downtown Vancouver from Friday (September 4) to Monday (September 7).

“Last year, it was more than 90 percent,” Ho said. “We hope that we can reach the same goal this year.”

In 2012, 82 percent of the garbage was recycled at the annual festival, mostly through the help of Tzu Chi Canada volunteers. That exceeded Metro Vancouver’s goal of 70 percent by this year.

It prompted an organization called Food Waste Recyclers to give Ho a certificate honouring this achievement.

It’s not the only honour for Tzu Chi Canada. Last year, the B.C. government and the four largest cities in the Lower Mainland declared August 31 to be Tzu Chi Day, in honour of the Canadian branch’s good works. It coincided with the opening of TAIWANfest at Westside Church in downtown Vancouver.

Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie was one of the politicians who spoke at the event. He described how Tzu Chi Canada volunteers offered assistance after a plane crashed into an apartment building in his city, arriving on the scene within an hour.

“They were there to add comfort and to aid these people in real need at that time,” Brodie recalled.

Barinder Rasode, then a member of Surrey council, commented on how Tzu Chi Canada volunteers in her city gave warm clothes to homeless people and served breakfast to schoolkids.

Tony Tang, who was then on Vancouver council, highlighted the charity’s efforts to keep downtown clean during TAIWANfest.

He’s not the only politician who’s enamoured with Tzu Chi Canada and its international parent organization’s recycling initiatives. Ho recalled greeting four Lower Mainland mayors (Port Coquitlam’s Greg Moore, City of North Vancouver’s Darrell Mussatto, Port Moody’s Mike Clay, and Township of Langley’s Jack Froese) along with Vancouver councillor Raymond Louie earlier this year at Tzu Chi’s recycling station in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei.

“I think they were very impressed with Tzu Chi’s program,” Ho said.

The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation was founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, who was born in the small Taiwanese town of Qingshui. At the age of 25, she began living a Buddhist monastic life, and she founded Tzu Chi four years later.

It began with a simple premise: she asked followers to donate one penny a day to make a positive difference. From that, the organization has grown to include more than a million volunteers who provide disaster relief, environmental care, medical assistance, and charity in 70 countries.

Ho founded the Canadian chapter in 1992 and it’s grown to 40,000 regular donors, 2,200 volunteers, and nine offices. Ho is also on the program advisory committee of the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Vancouver, which was founded in 1986.

He said that eight senior students from the college travelled to Taiwan this year to gain experience at Tzu Chi hospitals. In addition, Tzu Chi Canada offers traditional Chinese medicine at the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society in East Vancouver.

At this year’s TAIWANfest, Tzu Chi Canada volunteers and traditional Chinese medical practitioners will be in four tents in the 500 block of Granville Street from Saturday (September 5) to Monday (September 7) offering free counselling and massages to help with muscle problems.

To the Tzu Chi Canada head, it’s all part of his organization’s philosophy of serving humanity with gratitude.

“As new immigrants, we must pay back and pay forward to the community where we live,” Ho said.