Taiwan Church News 3781 Edition August 12 ~ 18, 2024 Weekly Topical After Typhoon Gaemi, PCT and ESWF Repair Assistive Devices for the Needy Reported by Dalul from Tainan As typhoon Gaemi hit very hard at Yan-Shui town in Tainan, bringing in serious floods and devastating damages to houses and infrastructures, many elderly people’s assistive devices were also soaked and spoiled in the water at their own houses. In order to help people get back to their normal lives as soon as possible, the Eden Social Welfare Foundation (ESWF) cooperated with the PCT Church and Society Committee to launch the mission, coded “Farewell to Gaemi and Let’s Reach Out”, at the Yan-Shui Church of Chiayi Presbytery on August 8 to help repair assistive devices. After the Gaemi typhoon, the PCT immediately reached out to the devastated area and affected residents though an online action, coded as “Gaemi First-Aid Bluebird Station”, calling on volunteers to go to the inflicted areas and help repair or rebuild the damaged houses. Rev Hsiao Rui-chiao, director of the PCT Church and Society Committee, expressed that averagely about 10 to 12 PCT members from across the island would voluntarily participated into each first-aid action. They often searched deep into the devastated area to understand the needs of the affected residents to provide first-aid, Rev Hsiao said. In the proceedings of post-Gaemi relief and rehab, PCT found that many elderly people’s electric beds, wheelchairs and other assistive devices were in urgent need of repair or replacement due to being soaked in the water. As ESWF has been providing such maintenance services on assistive devices for quite a long period of time, Ms Chang Meng-yi, chief of ESWF Tainan District, was promptly contacted by the PCT Church and Society Committee to start the joint-post-Gaemi relief ministry. Ms Chang indicated that ESWF has long been engaged in services, such as maintaining or repairing assistive devices for the elderly or the disabled, but this is the first time that ESWF carried out repair services due to post-typhoon disasters. It did opened up new visions and ministries for ESWF’s future services, she affirmed. During this joint-cooperation with the PCT, ESWF not only went to the homes of the inflicted to replace damaged electric beds, but also set up a service station at the Yan-Shui church that the public could send in wheelchairs and other assistive devices for repair and maintenance. In addition, ESWF delivered 100 charity packages of daily necessities to the affected residents in need and donated 10 charity bags for the poor families living near the Hsin-Shin Church of Tainan Presbytery and the Lin-Zhi-Nei Church of Chiayi Presbytery on August 8. As to some ESWF’s surplus resources and spare parts, they were passed to the church staff of the Yan-Shui Church to care the needy with spiritual care, material support and technical assistance. “ESWF’s aim is to showcase God’s care at a grass-root local, so it will work hands in hands with the PCT Church and Society Committee and Yen-Shui Church to become God’s vessels, provide assistance to the marginalized groups in sufferings, and overcome the unexpected challenges in emergent needs. Let’s work together for the Kingdom of God,”Ms Chang Meng-yi sincerely remarked. Translated by Peter Wolfe |