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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS