A monthly free food distribution program initiated by a group of international students from Southeast Asia is allowing them to serve the community in return for the education that Taiwan has given them, Vietnamese religious leaders said.
Twenty-three students, who belong to the Students Helping Initiative Program (SHIP), backed by Saint Christopher’s Church in Taipei, on Saturday prepared and handed out more than 150 baked chicken thigh lunchboxes to homeless people who sleep near the city’s historic Longshan Temple.
Sister Mary Nguyen, a Vietnamese nun, said that the purpose of the program is for students to find joy and happiness by serving the community.
“We want them to learn and understand that they are receiving a good education from Taiwan, and they can show their appreciation for the country by giving back to society,” Nguyen said.
The lunchboxes were all prepared and packaged by the students, Nguyen said, adding that they raised the money for the ingredients by selling cooked food in the summer holidays.
Lien Tong, a 26-year-old master’s student at National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, said the program is not simply about handing out free food to homeless people; it also shows that the students are willing to share what they have with the community.
The program also teaches students to have empathy as they are able to interact with and understand what homeless people are going through, said 25-year-old Malaysian journalism student Raymond Low, who is completing his final year at National Chengchi University.
Father Gioan Tran Van Thiet, a Vietnamese priest, said that in addition to the idea of sharing, the program is meaningful because Taiwan has provided a safe environment for the students amid the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can continue their education.
The students feel safe in Taiwan and are able to have a wonderful education, he added.
“It is a great way to say ‘thank you’ to Taiwan for the marvelous job that it has done,” Thiet said.
Saturday’s event followed one on Aug. 1, when SHIP distributed more than 100 chicken drumstick lunchboxes to homeless people at Taipei Main Station.
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