Source: FirstCoastNews.com

Wire Service: AP

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=39926

On July 5, 2005 the Associated Press reported, "A Buddhist temple in Tampa is donating money for the construction of houses for people in tsunami-torn Sri Lanka. Last month, builders broke ground on the first of 16 houses to be built with 104-thousand dollars raised by Florida Buddhist Vihara temple in Tampa from donors across the state. The 16 houses will be built on the southern tip of the island, on land allocated by the Sri Lankan government. The houses will cost about five thousand dollars each and are designed to be about 540 square feet, with two bedrooms, a detached bathroom, a veranda, a pantry-slash-kitchen, and a living room. They should be completed in two or three months. About 50 people are working to build the houses. Some of the structures already have foundations and concrete brick walls."