Taichung City Government was the first to establish Neighborhood Love Watching Teams, in which through the administrative caring system between districts, villages and neighborhoods, disadvantaged citizens can be helped through administrative supports such as medication, social welfare, long-term care, mental assistance and living environment cleaning. Such measures are highly praised by citizens. Recently, while village chief Lin Chin-yu of Fengrung Villgae, Fengyuan District was paying regular visits, he discovered the family of Ms. Chen, a new immigrant, was living under severe circumstances. After applying for disability house rental aid, they have overcome obstacles and do not have to sleep on the streets.

Health Bureau that Ms. Chen, a new immigrant, was married to Taiwan but later got divorced with his husband. With her meager salary, she raised 2 children (one with disability card) and lived in Fengyuan. Early this year, Ms. Chen’s father passed away, so she pawned her scooter so she can return to Vietnam with her children to attend his funeral. After they returned to Taiwan, given that she has no scooter to go to work and did not pay the rent for 2 months, the family of three face the predicament of having no place to live.

Village chief Lin Chin-yu of Fengrung Village discovered Ms. Chen’s difficulties during a Neighborhood Love Watching Team visit. He immediately contacted charity groups to help pay her rents, get her scooter back, and helped her to apply for the government’s disability house rental aid, allowing them to overcome the obstacles so that they were able to get together as a family during the Mid-autumn Festival.

Acting Supervisor Tang Yi-tsang of Fengyuan District stated that Fengyuan upholds the concept of “one village one watching team” and has founded 36 Neighborhood Love Watching Teams. Starting from May, village chief, neighborhood chief and volunteers have visited and cared for solitary elders, low income and mid-low income households above the age of 65, families receiving children and youth subsidizing life assistance and other underprivileged groups within their administration. Until late August, 83 cases have been assisted, helping many families like the Chens gradually and re-establish the mutual supportive spirit among the village and neighborhood.

Director Hsu Yuan-nian of Health Bureau also stated that given that an afar off relative is not as helpful as a near neighbor, Neighborhood Love Watching Teams, constituted of volunteers from the village and neighborhood, can help local underprivileged people through instant caring and assistance. Currently, 332 villages among the 20 districts of Taichung City have Neighborhood Love Watching Teams. Local volunteers pay at least one regular caring visit monthly to take care of the underprivileged citizens within their community so they can sustain basic life.

Director Hsu stated that a total of 500 teams will be established until next year and all 625 villages within Taichung City will have their own Neighborhood Love Watching Team by 2018. They will build up the caring and mutual assisting network among their community and make Taichung a city of “Neighborhood love and convenient life”.

Contact Person: Health Bureau, Taichung City Government
Telephone: 04-25265394