101/Love in Action/A Series of 'Caring for the Homeless' Activities
A Series of 'Caring
for the Homeless' Activities
Report from
Formosa
A
series of "Heartwarming Winter" activities were held in Formosa lately.
Those cared for were families with low income or difficult situations,
the homeless, physically and mentally disabled people, abused women
and children, prison inmates and parolees. The ways of caring also varied
from monetary contribution and New Year's gifts to free medical treatment,
free haircuts, entertainment and food service. Enclosed are some representative
activities. Please see details in the "Heartwarming Winter" activity
financial statements at the end of this column.
Love
in Action
Fellow initiates from Taipei
paid numerous visits to the street people.
On February 4, Ms. Jin-Mien
Wu, Director of the Wanhua Welfare Service Center, accepted $50,000
NT from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association to
be used for homeless people.
[Taipei]
In concert with officials from the civil department of the Taipei municipal
government, a series of events entitled "Heartwarming Winter" activities
was organized by fellow initiates from the Taipei Center. In early February,
a cold front suddenly moved into the Taipei area and temperatures dropped
abruptly. Freezing wind blew through the sparse clothing of the street people
who were unprepared for this sudden change in weather. However, even before
the arrival of the cold front's first wave, dozens of fellow initiates had
responded to an emergency call from the Taipei Center. After preparing hot
and tasty vegetarian meals, we went to places that already had been identified
as favorite haunts of the homeless, including the Wanhua Railway Station,
the Taipei Railway Station, the Bureau of Public Transportation, the Taipei
Municipal Social and Educational Hall, and various locations in the surrounding
areas. God's love and warmth were thus sent in a timely way to the local street
people. Seeing their expressions of gratitude and shyness, a sense of love
welled up in us, with a feeling of contentment that we had had the opportunity
to serve these needy souls.
In January, the Taipei
Center contributed more than one hundred sets of underwear and one hundred
lined wind-resistant coats to the Wanhua Welfare Service Center of Taipei's
Bureau of Social Affairs, hoping that these supplies would meet the emergency
needs of the homeless. In an earlier investigation, fellow initiates from
the Taipei Center and officers from the civil department went together to
areas where homeless people usually gathered. At present, the Taipei Center
is considering the purchase of a bath-truck, a bathroom on wheels, for the
civil department to use in providing services to the homeless. Although some
technical problems must first be resolved, the hitherto unknown bath-truck
is on its way to fruition.
Contributing the
underwear and wind-resistant coats to the Wanhua Welfare Service of
Taipei's Bureau of Social Affairs.
On February 12,
Mr. Ying-Jeou Ma, Mayor of Taipei (left), presented a banner of appreciation
to the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. He praised
the Association's volunteers for the love and care they showed toward
the homeless.
Mr. Ying-Jeou
Ma, Taipei's Mayor, personally helped a homeless soul put on a jacket
donated by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.
