On a normal Friday evening outside Taipei Railway Station, an unusual banquet unfolded for people living in the area with no home to return to before the Lunar New Year.
Carrying two polystyrene boxes filled to the brim with home-cooked meals, Han-yun (瀚云) arrived with her two daughters at a counter near the west gate of the station, ready to give out the nutritious and festive delicacies her family had been hard at work preparing since early morning.
“I find this event quite meaningful, so we wanted to continue donating food this year,” the 40-year-old mother said.
Photo: CNA
Organized by the nonprofit group Do You A Flavor, this annual year-end banquet has taken place on the streets of Taipei for the past five years and has expanded into a three-day event, not just featuring food, but also free haircuts, donations of clothes and the chance to play fun games with volunteers.
The aroma of the food and the army of volunteers quickly drew the attention of homeless people in the area. Among them was Tung An-ling (董安齡), who has been homeless since returning to Taiwan from the US almost four years ago.
“I like to eat a variety of food; I can eat lots of different food,” the 53-year-old said, adding she has been out of touch with her family for more than 10 years and feels lonely during the holidays.
Having worked as a janitor, Tung offered to help the volunteers repackage the food. “I really appreciate the kindness of those people... you know the kindhearted who help the homeless here,” she said after finishing a portion of salad and drunken chicken — one of 400 dishes donated on the first day of the event.
Having lived on the streets for more than 20 years, Chang Yun-hsiang (張雲翔) said he loved having the chance to interact with people at the event. He said the public has mixed impressions of the homeless, with some showing concern, and others looking down on them. “I used to sleep by the sidewalk, and someone once asked me, ‘Why don’t you just find a job since you are physically capable?’” the 37-year-old said, who has serious heart problems.
Meanwhile, the event was just as rewarding for those who gave as well as those who received. Robert Lin (林鈺祥), an occupational therapist and a first-time volunteer, was responsible for distributing food around the station, which he said he found rewarding.
“When we interact with the homeless, they get to know a new person or make a new friend, and they know there are people in society who care about them,” the 31-year-old said.
Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed that there were a total of 3,002 registered homeless in Taiwan in 2022, with the figure remaining steady since 2019. One-third of homeless people reside in Taipei and New Taipei City.
Ader Wu (巫彥德), co-founder of Do You a Flavor, said the number of homeless people would increase if society continues to ignore their plight.
The event aims to provide homeless people with a sense of hope and to help them not feel left out during Lunar New Year celebrations, the 34-year-old said.
“It also gives society a tangible way to offer help, as people sometimes feel a sense of anguish when they see homeless people on the streets during the cold weather but feel they cannot do anything to help them,” he added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS