Beginning this January, the Center for Integrated Buddhist Studies situated at Tsukiji Hongwanji established the volunteer organization, Project Dana Tokyo. As part of the 750th Memorial for Shinran Shonin projects, Hongwanji established the Center and Project Dana Tokyo to gain public interests in coming to the temple. Project Dana was first established at Moiliili Hongwanji in Hawaii over twenty years ago through the efforts of members who wanted to develop a volunteer program to assist the elderly. Project Dana offers friendly visits, minor home repairs and light housekeeping, in addition to many other services for the elderly. The organization in Tokyo is currently comprised of eleven minister-members who are in their 30s, and services are limited to one-hour visits to nursing homes conducted once a month to one of six designated facilities located in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Earlier, on September 10, Project Dana Tokyo conducted their sixth visit since the organization was established. The visitation was made to Myojin-en, a nursing home facility located in Chiba prefecture. Volunteers chatted with the residents on topics such as hobbies and food. Fuji Kawasaki, a resident, commented on the visitations saying how she enjoys talking to young people and hope that they would visit again. Another resident, Shizuko Tashiro, expressed how happy she was and how in having the opportunity to hear the words of the minister at the facility is like a dream.
For more information, contact the Center for Integrated Buddhist Studies at 03 (6410) 6371.
http://www.annon.jp/

 (Excerpt from Hongwanji Journal, October 1, 2010)