Food Security Taiwan Project #60073

Joyful Aging-Embracing the Beauty of Life Together

by Hondao Senior Citizen's Welfare Foundation

Project Report | Oct 27, 2023
Reliving precious childhood memories

By Liang Yin Ko | Project Leader

Grandma Hong holding a chicken

During the summer vacation, the community center became quite lively. In addition to the elderly regulars, there were many young children who joined classes with their grandparents.

To make the most of the holiday before school starts, the elderly and the children participated in activities at Kaohsiung Yanchao Animal Protection and Education Park. During the 'Befriending a chicken' time, the goal is to learn to correctly 'hold a chicken'. While many were having a hard time, the 80-year-old Grandma Hong became the first to succeed. The chicken was peacefully lulled to sleep as she gently petted it. Grandma Hong then happily shared the tricks to correctly hold a chicken with the children beside her.

We discovered that Grandma Hong used to raise chickens with her mother during her childhood. However, one ordinary night, all of their chickens were stolen. She has never raised chickens ever since. Today's activity allowed Grandma Hong to once again relive those precious childhood memories with her mother.

A whole day of interacting with animals left everyone feeling wonderfully refreshed!

Racking their brains and scratching their heads, they got creative and used both their hands and minds.

Grandpas and grandmas, bright and early, tackled jigsaw puzzles with enthusiasm. By working together seamlessly, neither Hello Kitty nor Shimajiro could stop their combined efforts!

The jigsaw puzzles have been especially popular at the Chenggong community center located in the Dali District of Taichung. The first 'mind-awakening' activity for the elderly who arrive at the community center in the morning is none other than solving the puzzles.

Initially, the seniors weren't very open to the idea. Many grandpas and grandmas, unfamiliar with the activity, were hesitant to try. With the guidance of the social workers, they have now fallen for the charm of jigsaw puzzles, completing them with ease. One grandma even said with a smile, 'I now play jigsaw puzzles at home with my grandchildren. The puzzles at the community center are child's play!'

Grandpas and grandmas playing jigsaw puzzles 1

Grandpas and grandmas playing jigsaw puzzles 2

Grandpas and grandmas playing jigsaw puzzles 3

Grandpas and grandmas playing jigsaw puzzles 4

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Jul 24, 2023
Ensuring nutritious diets for elderly

By Liang Yin Ko | Project Leader

Senior Li at Yilan volunteer station

Through Senior Li’s crow’s feet, we can almost see her content and joyful smile under her mask. The lunchbox in her hand seemed especially precious as it contains a nutritious meal prepared daily for the elderly by the community center.

At the age of 79, Senior Li lives alone; she has been a part of Hondao’s Yilan volunteer station for a decade. With her children occupied with work during weekdays, the station is like a second warm home for her. She gets to bond with new friends, engage in physical activities, attend art classes together, and enjoy the meals prepared by the center. Senior Li always says, "For the past ten years, this has been my most familiar taste!"

Social workers have noticed that, in the past ten years, by regularly engaging in social activities and ensuring a nutritious diet, she has maintained a remarkably healthy physique. Her verbal expressions and actions have not shown the slightest sign of decline, leaving both social workers and volunteers deeply moved. Although the daily meal does not contain luxury or gourmet dishes, it allows the local elderly to get access to consistent and nutritious diets. The interactions and care between social workers, volunteers, and seniors deeply warm Senior Li’s heart, encouraging her to regularly participate in the activities at the center for the past ten years.

'Gentle and considerate' Senior Jinzhen meets 'gentle and considerate' social worker.

Enjoying a meal every day, is something that many people take for granted, but for Senior Jinzhen, it is one of the most challenging tasks in her daily life. When she first came to Gangqian community center, during lunch time, she would always take a couple bites and promptly tell our social worker, "I’m already full!", leaving our social worker puzzled and worried if she was feeling unwell and unable to eat.

After observing carefully for a few times, our social worker realized that she has poor dental health and difficulties swallowing, coupled with her declining communicating abilities, she couldn’t express her true feelings and thoughts accurately. Being so gentle and considerate, Senior Jinzhen hesitated to say that she couldn’t chew, instead, she always says she’s full, making our social worker feel heartbroken. After communicating within the center, the kitchen staff not only chose soft ingredients, but also went above and beyond by processing her meals into bite-sized, delicate pieces, allowing Senior Jinzhen to eat comfortably and ensuring her nutrition and well-being.

Senior Jinzhen at Gangqian community center

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