On this particular Sunday morning, the sunlight had already stretched its warmth far across the sky, its light bouncing off the buildings and onto the gleaming faces of people lined up outside the gate of the church. The line wrapped around to the other side of the street. It began to move shortly after the hour. Over one hundred people, many of whom had been waiting since 7:00, were ready to start their week off right with a cup of hot coffee, juice, fruit, pastries, a bagel, and a meatless Egg McMuffin.

Perhaps it was the sunny disposition of every person there that kept the rain away just long enough for Tzu Chi to conduct its weekly free breakfast distribution in that very parking lot. Faces etched with lines from many hardships broadened into deep smiles at the touch of a hand. "You're all beautiful people!" a man exclaimed with a sweeping motion of his hand, as if he were sprinkling his happiness with the sunlight. The line moved along as hands gently reached out with grateful smiles. Beyond each of these smiles was a person with a story.

Out of the crowd stands Tony. Although he has a lean build, his sharp eyes and striking presence cannot be easily overlooked. For eight years, Tony trained recruits for the Special Forces. He is educated in psychology, nutrition, and speaks several languages. He was a preacher in jail. As the only boy in his large Creole family, he had learned at a very young age to look after his sisters and mother. The quiet redhead who is always by his side is his wife, Arielle.

Tony and Arielle were recently married. Two days before their wedding, they had neither a suit for Tony nor a dress for Arielle. Arielle, petite and reserved, becomes animated and excited when she talks about their wedding. "Tzu Chi did everything for us! They got Tony's suit, they got my dress--they took care of everything, even the food!" Her gentle green eyes light up with happiness as she recalls the story. "We didn't have anything, but we talked with Mr. and Mrs. Wee and we didn't have to worry about a thing. They even videotaped it for us!"

Tony and Arielle, like many other regulars at the Sunday breakfast distribution, had become familiar with the faces of A.T. Wee and his wife, Guo-Hua, over the years. The Wees were part of the founding group for the Tzu Chi Northern California Chapter. Dedicated to the homeless and street youths, A.T. and other volunteers used to wake up before dawn during the winter and drive around San Jose looking for people under bridges to give breakfast and sleeping bags to.

In the beginning, A.T. and the other volunteers went to St. James Park in San Jose to pioneer the Sunday breakfast distribution. Before then, mass distributions for the homeless had only taken place once or twice a year during the winter months. At these distributions, people received sleeping bags, winter clothing, and food. A.T. recollects why he wanted to start the breakfast distribution: "At each distribution, there were always more than a thousand people in need. I realized this was not a one-time job. There was a duty for us to help and connect with the people more. I wanted to get to the heart of the problem." A.T. began thinking of long-term plans to help. He wanted to lead others to a more frequent and deeper relationship with the homeless and to bring them companionship.

At the first official Sunday breakfast distribution, no more than twenty individuals showed up for the event. A.T. and the other volunteers had to search through the park for more people, as word of mouth had not yet spread about such an opportunity. Among the very first volunteers were Jim and Dorothy Chang. Jim is quiet and hardworking. His thick glasses only magnify the kindness in his gentle eyes. Dorothy is cheerful and enthusiastic. Her laughter is a familiar sound that floats above the crowd. Every move the couple makes is accompanied by large smiles.

When Jim and Dorothy first started helping A.T. with the distribution, they were anxious about their English-speaking abilities since their mother tongue was Chinese. Because of this, Dorothy was a little shy when greeting people. Yet upon shaking hands with the first person she greeted, Dorothy's true nature leapt out of her. The man said, "Oh my, your hands are cold!" and Dorothy placed a hand over her chest and exclaimed, "Oh, but my heart is warm!"

Starting at St. James Park and relocating from place to place, the breakfast distribution finally settled into the parking lot of the First Christian Church. United in purpose to help the homeless community, A.T. led the Tzu Chi Northern California Chapter into a partnership with Pastor Scott Wagers, Sister Adrienne Lawton, Sandy Perry and members of the Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (CHAM). Together with CHAM, First Christian Church opened up one of its halls for homeless people to stay in and allowed Tzu Chi to use the church parking lot for the breakfast distribution.

"We operate as a community where we all try to take care of each other to the best of our abilities, working to create a society of love and respect," Sandy remarks. "Underneath the noise and destructiveness of poverty, there's a lot of love here. It's the world we live in and it is the responsibility of people who believe in a better world to counteract that negativity and bring a spirit of love." Because of this spirit of love, every day is worth it for Sandy. Every day, Sandy sees the hope in humanity. "Love is the only force that is powerful enough to counteract the force of meanness. The meanness of this world--that's not the end of the story--that's just the way things are now. By using the spirits in our hearts--this love in our hearts--we change the world and make it a place where love can flourish. You'd be surprised... there's a lot of good people out there and they don't even know it until they're called upon."

Presently, the Sunday breakfast distributions bustle with nearly thirty regular volunteers each week. They have called upon themselves to attend to their duty to serve others and feel nothing but the reward of love and friendship in return. The last Sunday of each month--"Free Haircut Day"--is the most popular of all the Sundays. Dorothy Chang, who is fondly nicknamed "Sister Haircut" among the volunteers, is the head hairdresser on these Sundays. There is also a "Brother Coffee," "Brother Sandwich," "Brother Banana," and "Brother Muffin" as well. The volunteers donate all the food and supplies. "I wanted to create something unique," said A.T. "These volunteers have passion and know the potential of what they give. There are no barriers between anyone. This is what's so special about the breakfast distribution and Tzu Chi--our volunteers."

It was after the establishment of the breakfast distribution that A.T. introduced a youth program for street kids at Bill Wilson School in San Jose. He wanted to go beyond the distribution and drive deeper to impact the community at a more fundamental level. A.T. first met Arielle at this program. Yet it would not be until a year after Arielle graduated from the program that A.T. would see her again--two days before her wedding. Arielle happened upon the breakfast distribution and recognized the blue-and-white uniforms of the Tzu Chi volunteers. She knew she could find A.T. and the help she needed for the wedding. On August 6, 2003, a year and two days after her reunion with Tzu Chi, she and Tony celebrated their first wedding anniversary. A.T. surprised the couple with a small party, a viewing of their wedding video, and carrot cake.

"Today is the happiest moment of my life. Last year was the beginning of the happiest moment of my life, and I pray it never ends," Tony said, holding up a cup of apple juice to toast his friends. Although it had been a rough year for the couple, they celebrated their anniversary joyously and without defeat. "When we needed someone, you guys were there." It was a simple statement, but for Tony and Arielle, it encompassed a deep gratitude carved from enduring the unpredictable circumstances of the past year. "Now we have someone that we can count on. Before, there was no one out there for us to turn to. It was only here that we were able to receive the help that we needed. We received respect from you guys."

Tony and Arielle feel that coming to these Sundays with Tzu Chi is a way for them to show their support. "We come here every Sunday just for you guys. We want to thank you every week for all you've done for us." The couple, though not clear of hard times, will still spare what they have to help other people, even if it is the last ten dollars from their wallets. The couple wishes to join Tzu Chi as volunteers to help give back to the community. They believe that all it takes is a little heart. "We may not be millionaires, but we can offer love, honesty, and respect."

Master Cheng Yen reminds us that although our lives are not predetermined and cannot be completely comprehended, the strength of love can change the world and our lives can be determined by our own commitments. She says, "In our lives, we will always encounter unfavorable situations, times of foggy or chilly weather that bring discomfort. If we remain committed to our goals, it will be like warm sunshine in winter."

Tony and Arielle have been affected by this commitment of sincere giving from Tzu Chi. "This is not about the breakfast," Tony said. "You give us dignity and love. Everything you do is with dignity and love." And within this circle of giving and gratitude there are no rains in life that dignity and love cannot shelter us from.