Relatives of deceased Hsinchu resident Kuo Chin-tsao (郭金灶) last week donated Kuo’s savings of NT$16.35 million (US$539,568) to help the underprivileged according to his will.
The donation, made by Kuo’s great-nephew Chen Hsin-hua (陳信樺) and Chen’s wife, Fu Hsin-yi (傅心怡), was the largest personal donation ever made in Hsinchu, Deputy Mayor Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹) said.
When accepting the donation on Friday, Shen bowed to the couple three times and thanked them on behalf of the city.
Kuo was born in 1928 during the Japanese colonial period and moved to Tokyo to work at Toshiba after Japan lost the war, Hsinchu Department of Social Welfare Director Chen Hsueh-hui (陳雪慧) said.
Chen Hsin-hua said he moved to Tokyo to live with Kuo in 2001 after finishing his compulsory military service, citing an interest in continuing his Japanese language studies.
His mother had encouraged the decision as Kuo, Chen Hsin-hua’s great-uncle on his mother’s side, was old and living alone, he said.
He said his great-uncle was very strict and frugal, which he attributed to his upbringing during the Japanese colonial era.
“He often ate only one steamed roll for the entire day,” he said.
Kuo became ill toward the end of his life and underwent a few operations in Japan, Chen Hsin-hua said.
He eventually returned to Taiwan to be looked after by a nurse.
Kuo was 88 years old when he returned to Taiwan, having never married, Chen Hsueh-hui said.
Kuo had always expressed concern for the underprivileged and near the end of his life, he hired a lawyer to help him draft a will in which he laid out his intention to donate his savings, Chen Hsin-hua said, adding that Kuo had no children and his siblings had already passed away.
He said he had hoped to fulfill his great-uncle’s wishes as quickly as possible, but the process took a year due to the large amount and the paperwork involved.
“He always wanted to help the vulnerable people of Hsinchu, particularly older people who live alone and children,” Fu said.
“After talking with the local fire brigade and social workers, we decided the money should be used to pay for search-and-rescue equipment and services for disabled people,” she said.
Fu said she hoped a portion of the money would be used to help people with needs who are ineligible or unable to apply for social assistance.
The city will follow Kuo’s wishes and purchase emergency medical equipment and vehicles for disabled people, she said, adding that a portion of the funds would be used to help children from lower and middle-income families and older people who live alone.
The city is to publish details of how the funds are to be used, she added.
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