Prisoners and officials at the Taipei Prison yesterday donated NT$1.25 million (US$40,000) to relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Morakot.
After 10 days of fundraising, the Taipei Prison raised NT$760,000 from prisoners and NT$350,000 from officials and young men serving alternative military service who donated one day of salary.
The Taipei Prison Cooperative also donated NT$130,000 of its public welfare fund. Altogether, the Taipei Prison donated a total of NT$1.25 million to the typhoon relief effort.
Taipei Detention House warden Chan Jer-feng (詹哲峰) said the Taipei Prison wanted to do its part to help the victims.
“Because prisoners have limited freedom and income, they may not be able to donate large amounts, so the fundraisers asked prisoners to donate out of their own free will,” Chan said.
He said he was surprised that even with very little money, prisoners were able to donate so much to help the victims.
The Taipei Prison said when they heard about the flooding in southern Taiwan, they helped prisoners apply for telephones so they could contact their families living there.
All proceeds went to the Ministry of the Interior’s typhoon relief bank account and the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, the warden said.
RSS