Caring for the Grey-haired
Mr. Lian-fa Lin is attentive of the needs of senior citizens. He has arranged healthcare and handicraft workshops every Thursday morning. Grandmas and grandpas in the community arrive at Chungchuan Neighborhood Activity Centre at 8:30 am. They chat and have their blood pressures measured. Lectures start at 9 o’clock, and lunch is provided by volunteer workers after a busy morning.
Grandma, allow us to measure your blood pressure. | Let me help you, grandma! |
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Let’s Do This Together
We took part in one of the Thursday morning sessions. We learned how to measure blood pressures for grandmas and grandpas, and helped them to complete Découpage handiwork. We saw what good students they were and found them easy to get along with.
I will do the cutting, grandma. | Instructor explains how to produce Découpage handiwork. |
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At lunch time, we assisted in the cleaning of the tables, and brought the fried noodles to grandmas and grandpas. We also helped to serve soup and fruits. We didn’t sit down for the food until they had started eating. We were very busy in the morning but had a great time!
Mr. Lin came to help out. | Mr. Lin chatted with senior citizens. |
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Mr. Lin: “Auntie, let me take a picture of your work.” | Mrs. Lin: “Grandma, do you want some more food?” |
We observed how Mrs. Lin chatted away with senior citizens and served food to them. She also made sure that they had enough. She took care of them as if she were their daughter. Mr. Lin also came here from work to help put. It is no surprising that senior citizens give high regards to their efforts.
Voice from the Old
Let’s hear what grandmas and grandpas have to say.
Mr. Han-chou Chou said, “I really appreciate the help from the Lin couple. They make sure that the old people in the community are well taken care of. They organize health seminars or other activities every Thursday. Sometimes we listen to lectures and sometimes we do handiwork. They also prepare lunch for us. We are not lonely, thanks to their good work.”
Ms. Shi said, “The old folks living in Chungchuan Neighborhood are a lucky bunch because Mr. Lin cares about the welfare of senior citizens. There are activities every Thursday morning, for us to catch up, measure blood pressures, have classes and do handiwork. This keeps us happy, healthy and close to each other.”
Mr. Chao- huang Chen said, “Thanks to Mr. Lin for organizing these events. In addition to Thursday mornings, we can also come to the activity centre on Tuesday afternoons to sing songs and get together. Our life is more fun and enjoyable. I feel lucky living here.”
Senior citizens sing songs and catch up in the community centre. | Mrs. Lin serves meals to locals at lunchtime. |
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Joy & Accomplishment
Chungchuan Neighborhood runs its own blog and Facebook account, under the management and maintenance of Teacher You-mei, a volunteer worker. She indicated that the biggest joy and accomplishment of this job is the large number of people press “Like” on Facebook. The number of visitors to the community blog has exceeded 170,000, and the articles posted online are massively popular.
Good Words about Mr. Lin
Teacher You-mei knew Mr. Lian-fa Lin since she was a child. She previously didn’t have a view on what type of person Mr. Lin is. However, Mr. Lin reached out and offered help to her after her father passed away. She was really touched by Mr. Lin’s attitude to serve the neighborhood. She was particularly impressed with his responsiveness to phone calls from local residents. Mr. Lin tries his best to help the community. He is a trustworthy person. She said, “This is what a good neighborhood chief should be.”
Dedicated Volunteer Workers
We noticed that the volunteer workers in Chungchuan Neighborhood are enthusiastic and committed. Teacher You-mei told us why, “In the beginning, the volunteer team was comprised of Mr. Lin, his family and friends. Now the team is over 100 members strong, and most of them joined because of Mr. Lin. Whenever Mr. Lin and volunteer workers are sweeping the streets, local residents pick up their brooms and join us even if they only attend to their front doors. We all feel that the community has improved. Local people no longer ask volunteer workers to do this and that. Impressed with the dedication of the volunteers, local residents are willing to follow suit.”
Greatest Achievement
Teacher You-mei is most pleased with the construction of the community park. She said, “There is absolutely no public land available behind the train station in the western areas of Changhua City. The whole area is considered an urban community. However, Mr. Lin and his team managed to find a parcel of land and convinced the landowners to agree to the establishment of a park without asking for a penny. The park does not only benefit Chungchuan Neighborhood but also the nearby communities.” She added, “Chungchuan Neighborhood is the best neighborhood in terms of development and participation in the western part of Changhua City, thanks to the leadership and dedication from Mr. Lin.”
Interview Findings
We learned from the interview how well respected Mr. Lin is among volunteer workers. Many of them join his bandwagon because of his commitment to the community. The volunteer team consists of more than 100 people. They accomplish each task with great team work and the true spirit of service.
Teacher You-mei, Ms. Mei-tsu and Mr. De-yuan (from right to left). | Cyberfair project team and volunteer workers. |
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