By Taipei News Team, Formosa (Originally in Chinese)
As seasons change, the Huangmei season (the damp raining season) of May arrived in Formosa again. Because of the hot humid weather, our homeless friends needed more clothes in which to change. The same as in previous years, our Taipei Center Association members started collecting summer clothes in April and brought them to Yongan Park Community Center in Banqiao District on May 18, 2017, as arranged by the New Taipei City Volunteer Center and the New Taipei City Homeless Outreach Volunteer Center. New Taipei City Volunteer Center Director Ms. Huang Mei-Ying and a number of volunteers from the Volunteer Center helped move the 18 boxes of clothes provided by us to the Community Center for distribution to our homeless friends.
On May 22, the New Taipei municipal government and New Taipei City Volunteer Center held an event in Yongan Park Community Center to help our homeless friends. The event was called “Lighting up the Streets with Love – 2017 Reunion of Love at the Dragon Boat Festival.” Our Taipei Association members were invited to participate in the activity and distribute the clothes we brought. Homeless friends lined up in the early morning to enter the Community Center to receive the clothes, which we helped them select based on their sizes and preferences. The “Love Ocean” mobile shower vehicle contributed by Supreme Master Ching Hai was parked nearby, as in the past, so that our homeless friends could have a place to take a shower and change clothes. Several homeless friends went to take a shower after getting their clothes and later told us with satisfaction that their clothes fit well and looked good.
Deputy Director of New Taipei City’s Social Welfare Department Ms. Lu Chun-Ping said, “New Taipei City has an integrated system in place to help our homeless friends, including medical services, job training that teaches homeless friends simple job skills, employment placement, and other assistance.” Chairman of the the New Taipei City Volunteer Center Mr. Lu Li-Ming also said, “The Volunteer Center has been working with the New Taipei municipal government and other organizations that care about our homeless friends for a long time.” He stated that he hopes our homeless friends can return to the society soon. Deputy Director Ms. Lu was very grateful for the long-running contributions from the Tsai Eng-Meng Charitable Foundation, the doctors at Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association to help our homeless friends.
When giving a speech, the representative of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association conveyed Master’s love and care to our homeless friends and wished every homeless friend could live a safe and healthy life. The “2017 Reunion of Love at the Dragon Boat Festival” event where homeless friends gathered together and celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival drew to a close with God’s blessing.