Leaky No More: Anding Charity Organization Demonstrates the Power of Compassion Through Renovation
Anding Charity Organization, which is under Tainan City’s Anding District Office, once again demonstrated the power of compassion through renovation. On December 14 and 15, the group spent two full days at the Chuang family household, where they renovated a roof that had been leaking for years. The group took the structure’s beams and support poles into consideration, as they were causing the roof to slant. This and the damaged tiles were the main causes of the leaky roof. Mr. Wu, a volunteer and an expert in sheet metal construction, took the lead for this renovation effort. The sandwich panel-style sheet metal Wu used prevents against roof leaks, and so the Chuang family will no longer need to worry about the previously unremitting issues of roof leaks and the threat of roof tiles falling off. Now, the house once again offers all the necessary features of a functional living space.
Some of the funds for this project came from the city government’s Bureau of Social Affairs, which allocated renovation funds from the Low Income and Low-Middle Income Subsidy for Improving the Living Spaces of the Elderly. Mr. Wu went on-site to assess how to best carry out restoration work, and then the sheet metal expert discussed the renovation methods with the house’s owners. Wu felt that sandwich panel-style sheet metal on top of a steel support structure would stop the roof from leaking as well as maximize the house’s safety, ensuring falling roof tiles will no longer be a threat. In the end, the team smoothly completed their renovation mission.
Ms. Chuang is already quite old, unmarried, never had any children, and she receives a low income living subsidy, which she completely relies on to cover her living expenses. As a result, she was unable to come up with the money necessary to fix her house, resulting in her living under a roof with tiles so damaged that she could see the sun by looking up. In the past, she received help from relatives, who built a steel structure that propped up the roof in order to fix the leaky roof. Yet, this wasn’t an effective cure, because the framing was out of position so the incessant danger of the roof tilting was never improved upon. Water damage caused by roof leaks resulted in efflorescence, or walls with mold. Therefore, the house was unable to even provide the most basic living aspects. After inspecting the residence, the district office applied for funding from the Bureau of Social Affairs, and then the district office sent the charity organization to carry out renovation work that would allow the family to enjoy a house that provides safety and offers the essentials of shelter.
Anding District Chief Liu Shih-Hsiung explained that Anding Charity Organization’s registered volunteer members are busy with their businesses or jobs during the week. Despite this, whenever they’re contacted by the district office that there’s a house in need of renovation work, they almost always agree to lend a helping hand. Seeing it as being duty-bound to help, they have a meticulous mindset, as they treat the house undergoing restoration work like it’s their own. Their dedicated attitude of ensuring no one misses out on compassion is firmly implanted in every member’s heart. Every time a renovation project begins, it signifies that compassion has been transformed into palpable action. The volunteers also take away something, too—namely, the principle of how it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
Contact: Anding District Office, Social Affairs Section, Li Chia-lun, Phone: 5921116 Ext. 128