The Formosa Charity Group has raised NT$1.18 million (US$36,341) in four days to help the Hung family (洪) in Chiayi County’s Taipao Township (太保), whose home was damaged by Typhoon Soudelor last month.
The news of the Hung family’s predicament was first made public by local borough warden Lu Chu (呂柱) and local representative Lin Shu-mian (林淑勉), when they said that multiple tiles were ripped from the roof and that the family was worried about the rain.
Local media stations reported on the family’s plight, which prompted people to donate money to help the Hung family.
On Friday, Lu and Lin issued a statement asking for donors to support other causes, as the Hung family had received enough funds to help them regain their footing.
The Formosa Charity Group said that they were planning to build a new house for the Hung family that would include three bedrooms and two living rooms. The house would be built from steel and would be fully furnished, the group said.
The Hung family would be able to move into their new home with just the clothes on their backs, the group said, adding that they would be giving the family’s four-year-old child a computer as a gift.
Group chairman Lin Chi-mao (林其茂) said that the cost of building the house was around NT$1.3 million, but added that the group would only take NT$500,000 from the donation money and cover the remaining cost with the group’s funds.
The remaining NT$680,000 would go into a bank account that would provide funds to cover the child’s education and Hung Chin-lung’s (洪金龍) medical expenses, as he injured his spine during the typhoon, Lin said.
The Formosa Charity Group, located in Yunlin County, was originally established to help the victims of the 921 Earthquake, but has since expanded its operations to help those who need disaster relief.
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