An elderly married couple in Keelung’s Jhongjheng District have been living in a corrugated iron house that is potentially dangerous because it is too dark inside and the bathroom floor is wet and slippery. On Wednesday last week, volunteers from the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association carrying a bathtub, cement and other materials climbed up the hill to repair the elderly couple’s house and make their indoor environment more accessible. The two seniors smiled happily when they saw how much safer and brighter their home had become.
Skywalker Charity Association chairman David Lee said that the 81-year-old gandfather, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and possible dementia, is looked after by the 79-year old grandmother, and their daughter-in-law also visits and looks after them from time to time.
Apart from the wet, slippery floor and dim interior, the old couple’s corrugated iron house did not have any railings to lean on, and they have suffered occasional falls, but because vehicles cannot reach their house and they have a limited budget, it has been very hard for them to find anyone willing to work on the house. The Keelung City Long-Term Care Management Center cooperated with Skywalker volunteers to repair the elderly couple’s house.
Photo courtesy of the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association 照片：基隆市天行者慈善協會提供
Eight Skywalker volunteers carried mechanical tools, cement, gravel and other materials under the blazing sun, but nobody complained about being tired. They fitted the elderly couple’s home with a new bathtub and water heater, installed more lights and a new kitchen sink, and also installed some fall-prevention equipment.
Skywalker Charity Association CEO expressed his gratitude to general managers Lee Run-yu of Tien Yang Engineering and Yin Chun-chi of Fu Chuang Co for taking part in this philanthropic activity to improve senior citizens’ living environment.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
Photo courtesy of the Keelung City Skywalker Charity Association 照片：基隆市天行者慈善協會提供
基隆市中正區一對老夫妻住在山坡上鐵皮屋，因室內燈光不足、浴室地面濕滑，潛在危險，基隆市天行者慈善協會志工上週三搬著浴缸、水泥等材料上山，為老夫妻修房子，改善屋內的無障礙環境，看著家裡更安全明亮，兩老開心笑了。
天行者慈善協會理事長李昌萬說，八十一歲的老爺爺患有帕金森氏症，並疑有失智症，由七十九歲的老奶奶照顧，兒媳不定時會返家照料。
除了地面濕滑、照明光線不足，爺奶住的鐵皮屋又沒有扶手欄杆，老人家曾經跌倒，但礙於車輛無法抵達及預算有限，很難找到願意施工的人，基隆市長期照顧管理中心和天行者的志工合作，幫爺奶修繕房子。
天行者八名志工頂著大太陽，人力搬運機具、水泥、沙石等材料，但沒人喊累。他們幫爺奶換上新浴缸、熱水器，再加裝燈具及新的水槽，還設置防跌設施。
天行者慈善協會執行長黃永翔說，很感謝典陽工程李潤宇總經理及富創企業社殷純驥總經理幫忙，共同參與公益關懷活動，讓老人家改善居住環境。
（自由時報記者盧賢秀）
A: Why didn’t you come to work earlier this week? Did you go anywhere for fun? B: I went to Thailand with friends to celebrate the 2026 Water Festival, also known as the Songkran Festival. The three-day annual celebrations ran from April 13 to 15. Everyone was having water fights in the streets. A: I know that “Songkran” is the traditional New Year in Southeast Asia, usually celebrated in mid-April. B: And we also attended the 2026 Siam Songkran Music Festival this time. The EDM shows by Martin Garrix — who has been crowned the World’s No. 1 DJ by “DJ
A: Apart from the Thai Water Festival, Taiwan’s three major Matsu pilgrimages are among Asia’s largest annual folk activities. B: This year, “Baisha-ma” of the Baishatun Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County was the first to kick off her pilgrimage, with the deity departing on April 12 and returning on the 20. A: Then “Dajia-ma” of the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung will set off next, departing tonight before midnight and returning on April 26. B: And what about “Beigang-ma” of Yunlin County’s Beigang Chao-tian Temple? When will she launch her procession? A: Typically, “Beigang-ma” begins her procession on the eve of her lunar
The US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, has killed thousands of people, destabilized the Middle East and rocked global energy markets by effectively closing the strait. WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? Lying between Oman and Iran and linking the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond, the strait is 33km wide at its narrowest point, with a shipping lane just 3km wide in either direction. Perhaps the world’s most important energy shipping channel, the waterway is about 167km long. Following through on an old threat, Tehran effectively closed the strait
When you twist open a bottle of carbonated water, bubbles rush out with a hissing sound. This drink is simply water infused with carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure, giving it that fizz on your tongue. But this basic description barely scratches the surface of the carbonated water family. Although all carbonated waters are bubbly, slight differences set them apart. Seltzer is just plain water with artificial CO2—no minerals, no extras. Club soda includes added minerals such as sodium bicarbonate, which creates a slightly salty flavor. This makes club soda suitable for mixing with fruit juices. Sparkling water, on the
RSS