Providing Love and Warmth During Winter in Formosa

By Formosa News Team (Originally in Chinese)

The more you are exposed to the sense of the needy’s suffering, the more you feel your compassion being touched. And then you want to do something for that person or that animal or that situation, and then that’s how your NQ* grows.

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, European 3-Day Retreat, Paris, France, 

August 22, 2007 (Originally in English)

*NQ means Noble Quality

In the winter of 2014, a cold air mass from the north along with dampness from days of rainfall drove the temperature in Formosa below 10 degrees Celsius. Responding to Supreme Master Ching Hai’s loving instructions to help those in need, many of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association Centers on the island provided warmth and vegan food to homeless and other disadvantaged people living in cities, townships and villages from December 2014 to March 2015. These activities were highlighted online at money.udn.com under the title “Lighting up the World with Love, Sending Warmth to the Homeless.”

Hualien Center

A team from our Hualien Center first visited the Life Console Sisterhood in Hualien County, an organization that cares for senior citizens living alone in the northern part of the county. The team members purchased items to provide warmth, along with daily necessities and 25 packages of rice, noodles and cooking oil. They next went to the Fongbin and Ande Kindergartens, which care for children from households with low incomes, with single parents, or with grandparents as guardians. To assist the families and help the Kindergartens prepare nutritious lunches, our Association members contributed rice and vegetable oil. They also distributed cold weather items and daily necessities to local senior citizens. As Ande Kindergarten is located in a remote mountainous area, the team also provided the facility with 20 bags of noodles and six bags of soy hot dogs from Loving Hut. Along with these supplies, the children and senior citizens also received reading materials such as copies of The Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine and introductions to Supreme Master Ching Hai’s life.

Yilan Center

Our Yilan Center worked with the Luodong Shelter of the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation, distributing 160 sets of new winter jackets and pants as well as 70 sleeping bags to homeless individuals.

Keelung Center

Our Association members from the Keelung Center purchased 30 winter jackets, and with God’s love gave the jackets to the director of the Keelung Shelter of the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation and to representatives of the homeless community.

Taipei Center

A team from our Taipei Center first visited the Wanhua Social Service Center and delivered winter clothing contributed by our Association members as well as new jackets, undergarments, sportswear, coats and other items. The team also provided two sets of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment – Book Ten, copies of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment Sample Booklet and copies of The Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine for homeless people to read in the Social Service Center’s library. The Social Service Center’s director, Mr. Chiu Ching-hsiung, accepted the items on behalf of our homeless friends in the Wanhua District and in return presented The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association with a Certificate of Appreciation.

Next, the team went to the Homeless Outreach Center in New Taipei City to distribute clothing, sleeping bags, jackets, pants, warm packs and other items. In total, the team contributed 525 new jackets, 500 pairs of pants, 200 turtleneck shirts, 500 coats, 300 long-sleeved undergarments, 300 sleeping bags and 1,000 heating pads. The former president of the New Taipei City Volunteer Center, Ms. Huang Mei-ying, who is now the Director of the New Taipei City Homeless Outreach Center, has been assisting disadvantaged people for 17 years. Ms. Huang accepted the items on behalf of the Volunteer Center and presented The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association with a Certificate of Appreciation. In return, our Association gave two sets of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment- Book Ten, and copies of The Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine and The Key of Immediate Enlightenment Sample Booklet for homeless people to read in the Homeless Outreach Center’s library.

On February 13, 2015, the Taipei Center also took part in the “Lighting up the Streets with Love” activity together with the New Taipei City Volunteer Association, the Tsai Eng-Meng Foundation and Yuan Heng Temple. Our Association members gave over 200 homeless people each a bag containing a jacket, a pair of trousers and other supplies. They also shared Loving the Silent Tears: The Musical  DVDs and CDs and copies of The Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine with the Deputy Mayor of New Taipei City, the Honorable Dr. Hou You-yi, and the Venerable Huichang of Yuan Heng Temple.

Moreover, in order to thank the city’s businesses, religious groups, non-profit organizations and citizens for supporting the Happy House Bank program, the Social Welfare Department of the New Taipei City Government hosted a gathering on March 19. Happy House Bank helps to provide disadvantaged families with food and daily supplies. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, which was among the 289 invited guests at the event, was recognized for giving winter supplies to homeless persons on the streets, and received a plaque of appreciation from the Mayor of New Taipei City, the Honorable Chu Li-luan.

Taoyuan Center

A team of our Association members from the Taoyuan Center learned that 253 disadvantaged families in the Taoyuan area needed help. After visiting some of the households, they found that the most urgently needed supply was food. Thus, the team gave each family one large bag of rice and two large bags of noodles. In addition, they lovingly provided vegan food, warm hats and socks to 24 local homeless people.

Hsinchu Center

A team from our Hsinchu Center went to the villages of Yufeng, Xiuluan and Siya and found 18 disadvantaged households. To express their loving care and to help the families get through the difficult winter, the team gave each household TWD 2,000. In Zhudong Township, they found eight homeless individuals and offered them each TWD 1,000. Along with sharing publications such as Supreme Master Ching Hai’s books and the Supreme Master Ching Hai Press Kit, the team provided disadvantaged and homeless people with warm jackets, pants, hats, blankets, sleeping bags, organic brown rice, seasoning oil, soy sauce and other supplies. In addition, they contributed vegan dog food to two local dog shelters.

Miaoli Center

A team from our Miaoli Center focused on caring for disadvantaged families, first contributing TWD 30,000 to the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families Miaoli Center, which was helping 849 families and 1,837 children overcome poverty. With the assistance of a village chief, they also found 65 families in need and distributed 20 sleeping bags, 20 jackets and 65 packages of rice, noodles, cooking oil and canned food.

Taichung Center

Our Association members from the Taichung Center went to the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation and lovingly contributed 70 winter jackets, 70 sleeping bags and 1,000 heating pads to help homeless people. They also offered eight beds to the Taichung City Catholic Church’s Good Samaritan Women Concerns Association, which provides homeless women with a comfortable place to sleep.

Nantou Center

Our Nantou Center went to parks, bus stations and train stations to look for homeless people. Three individuals in need were each provided with a jacket, a pair of pants and TWD 1,800.

Changhua Center

As recommended by local village chiefs and organizations, a team of our Association members from the Changhua Center visited the families most in need in Fuxing, Dacheng and Xianxi Townships. To these families and to the local homeless population, they distributed rice, 20 blankets, 16 coats and 20 warm hats. The team also offered people dried vegan food and beverages as well as copies of The Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazine. Later they twice visited the Changhua Shelter of the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation and lovingly distributed more supplies along with copies of The Key of Immediate Enlightenment Sample Booklet to bring warmth to residents’ hearts and help them endure the long winter nights.

Chiayi Center

Members of our Chiayi Center purchased 100 jackets and sleeping bags and delivered them to the Chiayi Shelter of the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation to convey Supreme Master Ching Hai’s love and care, hoping to bring warmth to homeless men and women.

Tainan Center

Our Tainan Center Association members went to the Bureau of Social Affairs of Tainan City and the Zenan Homeless Social Welfare Foundation and contributed 110 packages containing jackets, sports suits, scarves, hats and gloves. They also divided into groups and delivered daily necessities and TWD 2,000 each to 40 families. A total of TWD 80,000 was distributed.

Kaohsiung Center

A team of our Association members from the Kaohsiung Center visited 100 homeless people in 13 districts and gave each an eco-bag containing vegan food, a jacket, a pair of pants, a sleeping bag, a warm hat and two pairs of socks to help them stay warm in the winter. Our Association members also visited 22 aboriginal families and senior citizens living alone in the high mountains of Tauyuan District and contributed rice, canola oil, soy sauce, oatmeal, noodles, towels and TWD 3,000 to each of the households. In addition, after learning that the Lanruo Shelter had only a four-day supply of food left for its hundreds of resident dogs, our Association members contributed 50 bags of vegan dog food.

Pingtung Center

Our Pingtung Center Association members worked with the Home of Shooting Stars, a homeless shelter established by the Pingtung County Government, to conduct a seminar on spirituality and cardiac disease prevention for the shelter’s residents. They also provided 105 sets of winter jackets and pants, and gave a red envelope gift of TWD 300 to each attendee. In addition, a food-tasting event was held after the seminar with the Loving Hut of Pingtung providing vegan dishes. Later, our Association members went to Laiyi Township and visited 10 aboriginal families in need, bringing them rice, noodles and canned food.

Within a few months, our Formosa Centers lovingly delivered TWD 1,410,212 worth of winter supplies, daily necessities, food, and cash assistance to disadvantaged families and homeless people in their areas. We pray that God will bless those less fortunate with lives full of warmth and happiness.

Expenditures by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association

for Winter Relief Work in Formosa

Formosa Winter Relief from December 2014 to March 2015

“Light Up the Streets with Love” – Homeless Individuals Celebrating the New Year Sharing a Traditional Meal, New Taipei City

“Happy House Bank” social program award in New Taipei City