Touching Our Fears and Hopes – An Advent Reflection

December 1^st, I was to facilitate the weekly meeting with the women and staff. Somehow, I woke up in very early in the morning to plan on the activity and remembered it was World AIDS Day, so I planned the activity focused on HIV-AIDS. Towards noon, Fr. Larry Barnett, a Columban priest friend, paid us a surprise visit and brought a huge box of freshly picked persimmons from the mountains where he worked with the Taiwan Taya Tribe. He joined us for lunch and the women just loved him talking in Taiwanese with them.

At the meeting, we had a big group of 12 women including the staff. Surprisingly, most of them did not remember December 1^st as World AIDS Day. After introducing the theme, we watched a DVD, “Hug With Love”, an HIV-AIDS documentary produced by the Department of Health. It was a well presented documentary of HIV-AIDS in Taiwan and it was all in Chinese, interviewing local person affected with HIV-AIDS. The group was so focused on the presentation however the seriousness of the issue was evident to the silence afterwards. Afterwards, I asked everyone to make an AIDS ribbon, and each light a candle to pray for someone they know who are suffering of the disease or supporting and advocating the HIV-AIDS pandemic. Each one has a choice to put on the ribbon or lay them around the Advent Wreath made of fresh pine leaves and branches, to signify our solidarity in our own FEARS and the fears of those who have AIDS, to connect our own HOPE with those who are dying of AIDS. After everyone lighted her candle, we all gathered around and formed a circle hug acknowledging each others’ presence and support. This was followed by each of the women sharing how their week at the center was like.

Through our gestures and silence, touching the meaning of Advent with our fears and hopes as those suffering from HIV-AIDS made me realized the depth and meaning of Advent. For the most of the women, they may not know fully what Advent is, but they understood that it is about hoping. Finding within themselves the seed of hope and change, in the midst of their struggle to rebuild their lives, to form friendships with one another and eventually, in their own phase find their rebirth. It is in these moments, Jesus’ birth find its meaning to those whose hearts are changed.

A Creative and Wise Giving - Learning from our Buddhist Friends

This morning, I drove the car to pick up our weekly vegetable donations. When I arrived, it was a little early and the vegetables were not ready. Mrs. Liao [陳瑺玲] kept on apologizing and told me she is waiting for her husband, Mr. Liao［廖學正］. He said he forgot to prepare our vegetable because today there were about three organizations who also came to get vegetable donations. Not too long, Mr. Liao came, hurrying and apologizing that he was not ready with the vegetables. He started to pick up different kinds of vegetables, weighed and listed them. As I was waiting, me and Mrs. Liao helped bagged the vegetables. When he finished, I had four huge bags filled with different vegetables to take back to the center. While waiting, I told Mr. Liao that I am very grateful for the help they give us.
Mr. and Mrs. Liao are very devout Buddhists and were introduced to us by Mr. Wu [吳平常]。They have been donating fresh vegetables to us for more than four years now.
I asked if I could take a photo of both of them and they happily said yes. Mr. Liao explained to me that they are a small group of individuals who want to help homeless people by contributing a small amount of money to buy vegetables for donation. He showed me the names of the contributors. I was so impressed how they thought of contributing this way. The donors put together money and give it to Mr. &Mrs. Liao to give the equivalent vegetables to the organizations helping homeless people. They are not only helping the homeless but also helping Mr. and Mrs. Liao to continue with their small business by giving them regular sales. The donated vegetables are weighed and listed for record and they report the donation to the original money donors. What a wise way of giving to the society. Helping the homeless and the small business people in a very responsible way.

Creating A Safe Space for Healing and Reconciliation

Poverty and homelessness among women and men is a global issue we all are facing, here in Taiwan and in our respective countries. Last year, the 10% rise on the number of domestic violence in Taiwan households reflects the increasing number of women and children who are seeking shelter. (The China Post, June 9, 2009). Also in 2009, violence and difficult family situation accounts for 91% of the causes of homelessness among the clients at Good Samaritan Women Center. High rate of unemployment for women who are over 40s and low skilled put them in the high risk of being homeless.

Since 2003, the women center offers a safe space for street and homeless women through its day shelter and temporary residency program for free. However, Good Samaritan Women Center works of mercy do not stop there, the organization has been in the forefront since the beginning in its advocacy for the rights of homeless people and its service provider organizations. Networking with other homeless service provider, the Samaritan Center organizes annual symposium on homelessness lobbying for the establishment of National Taiwan Homeless Services Act. The organization also advocates on the issue of women’s rights especially in the social welfare system. Three times a year the center organizes seminars on current issues affecting women.

Most days, a woman comes by herself at the center, seeking a place to live. Some women are referred to by domestic abuse center, hospital, police stations and local government social welfare service. Each day, a number of street women come asking for clothing, hot meals, warm shower, wash their laundry or just to stop by and be listened to, rest and watch television. At the Samaritan Center they have a home where they can laugh, talk, cry and tell their stories. It provides shelter for the street women from the hot sun and bitter cold winter months. Here they have home, restful and away from the streets and measuring eyes of the public.



The works of Good Samaritan Center to help individual women rebuild their lives need to expand for it to serve women more effectively. Currently, the women center rents three floors of an apartment, allowing 10-12 women to live in a given period. As more women come back to visit, the place is now very limited and there is not enough space to interact. This also limits extending temporary residency period for any women who needs more time to find work and rebuild her life.

Our hope is to buy a newly built house around the vicinity of Taichung City, where transportation is an easy access. We would like to start an eco-friendly women center which will be a model organization in Taichung City. In addition to this, we need to build our capital fund to increase our financial security to make sure that we continue delivering basic services to homeless women who come to our door. We thank you for your help.