Social Services

Philanthropy is one of the stated aims of TIWC. A review of the projects it has supported over its fifty-seven year history reflects the changing character of Taiwan and its people.

In the fifties, major projects were concerned specifically with aid to children's institutions, schools for blind, deaf and mute, and organizations formed to combat leprosy and tuberculosis. During those difficult years for Taipei, TIWC members were among those who provided leadership. Scholarships were provided to educate nurses when there was a serious shortage the first occupational therapy ward in Taiwan was opened in National Taiwan University Hospital under the guidance of a TIWC member, and with financial help from TIWC. The quality of physiotherapy was greatly improved at that hospital with help from a TIWC member who was a qualified physiotherapist.

Many children with no social welfare in those days, were helped by TIWC; among them polio victims, burn patients, those with scoliosis, congenital deformities, leukemia and heart disease, and those who required operations and medication.

As Taiwan industrialized over the following three decades government health insurance and social welfare benefits improved, so TIWC turned its attention to other areas such as helping the mentally and physically handicapped, and assisting in training women for the work force. After fifty years of rapid growth Taipei has severe environmental and social problems, so TIWC is looking for new ways to help.

Social Services ever turned to sponsor a study on the physical safety of women and children in Taiwan. It is being carried out by an Attorney-at-Law, the Chairperson of the Female Affairs Committee of the Taipei Bar Association. She has divided her research into four parts, namely, Rape  [with an annexed study on Sexual Offence against Children], Sexual Harassment, Marital Violence, and Child/Women-Mongering and Forced Prostitution.

A sub-unit of the Social Service Committee is the Bandage Rolling Group  which started in 1961. Due to bandages in hospital are all rolled by machine, the hospital no longer need such service any more.  However those bandage rolling members still get together for fellowship and give financial help to TIWC.

Among the donations made by the Social Services Committee are:

* A Braillon machine and binder for the Talking Library for the Blind

* Support for YWCA camp scholarships for handicapped children

* Eight wheelchairs (click for photo) for Taipei Municipal Jen-Ai Hospital

* An Auto Refractometer (click for photo) for Taipei Medical College Hospital

* A twenty-four seat bus for Eden Welfare for the handicapped

* A Digital Ultrasound Scanner for Tien Medical Center

* An ambulance (click for photo) for Ai-Ai Home

* Computer with software for the Taipei Municipal Psychiatric Center

* Computer for the Taipei Women's Development Center

* A nine-seater van for the Syin-Lu Cultural Foundation for handicapped

* Dental equipment for the Taipei Juvenile Detention Center

* Optical machine (photo) donated to Taipei Medical College Hospital, 1984

* Obstetrical and gynecological equipment for St. Joseph the Worker Hospital

* Financial support for the publication of an awareness pamphlet for  McKay

* Physical therapy equipment for the Ai-Ai and Little sisters of the Poor

* Sponsorship of two blood drives to support a child with a plastic anemia

* Donation in cash to TIWC Educational Foundation, Lily Chou Memorial Fund, WALEI Net, Teenagers Community School,  HolyWord Children’s Home, Sister Theresa Shelter for Aids Victims, and the Stella Maris International Services Center 

* Donation in cash to TIWC Educational Foundation for scholarship awarding, The Taipei Benevolent Educational Society for the Blind for training the professional massage skill for the blind, The Community Services Center, The St. Mary's Hospital (in Tai-Tung) for hospital facilities.

* Donation in cash to theWha-Shan Social Welfare Foundation,, Holy Word Children Home, Taipei Private Yi Kuang Orphanage, Taipei Benevolent Society for the Blind, and TIWC Educational Foundation

* Donation in cash to help the AIDS babies

* Donation in cash to TIWC Educational Foundation and The Taipei Benevolent Educational Society for the Blind