“Troubles in Sight, Angles Inside.”

Where there's a will, there's a way. Established in 1999, the Association was founded by a group of parents whose children were diagnosed with developmental delays and psychological or physical disabilities. They engage in early year medical and educational services and promote welfares for families encountering these situations.

Being Able to Fly is Not Enough

The well-reputed Association has been running for nearly two decades since it was born. So far, the Association helped more than 500 personnel, ranging from 9-year-old to 43. "People might be curious about that since our service is to take care of "Little Angels," that would be more like cases looking after children. So why do you have members of 43-year-old?" Said the director-general as he greeted children coming back from health examination. "We look after those who are suffering from scales of disable like medium, or severely disabled. They might be able to take care of their lives, but getting a job in a general workplace is not friendly."

(Photo Story) Holding the hand-made products, everyone shows accomplishment on their faces.

At first, the Association aims at the day-care center to enable parents to focus on their jobs. Nevertheless, members will grow up and facing losses of families or maladjustment in the workplace. These urgent problems are left without a proper plan, which activated the Association to expand its services to include the aforementioned issues. "These situations are not that surprising, which is also the biggest difference between the management policy of the Association and other social welfare organizations." Pointing to the "Angels' Home" banner on the wall, the director said quickly.

"Currently, the Association provides short-term care services and vocational training. The training is not an ordinary workplace integration. Instead, the practice provides opportunities for independence like food packaging, agriculture, and sales."

Co-Living Like A Family

Since social integration is difficult for the members, the Association designed this organization to provide a proper care service model with an all-aspect, humanity orientation. Angel's Home, therefore, possesses a vision of local life, local employment, and whole local life.

"The establishment of Angel's home is with much aids from enterprises, government, and the society to make our dream come true." That includes the subsidizes from "Multi-Employment Promotion Program" (MEPP) of Ministry of Labor (MOL), which aggregates the inadequate human resources to a certain extent.

With the participation of professionals such as sales staff for production and business development and plant specialists for gardening skills training, their business could expand rapidly. Running a social organization is not easy, for it has to reply much on donation.

Under this circumstance, the Association broke new ground in financing. The current fund-raising ratio of the Association is about 4:3:3 for corporate sponsorship, public donations, and government subsidies, and derivative benefits. The self-funded part has started to develop food farmer education in recent years. Their crops include vanilla tea, marigold cleansing series to sales of Angels' ecological, non-toxic vegetables. A significant result showed up gradually.

The Association began to lead angels to plant organic, realize non-toxic farming in Chongliao Township in 2015. On the one hand, this cultivated both skills and proper attitude for a working place; on the other hand, this approach connected local farmers' production and sales to increase sales opportunities.

"For example, Nantou Branch of Bank of Taiwan, TW Times Recreational Park, and Zhongxing New Village allocate our booth space to increase the chances to practice social interaction for our children and the Association income."

On these supportive methods from enterprises, the general director expressed his gratitude.

(Photo Story) The Angels helped local farmers harvest as an agriculture interaction education, associating them with the local community.

Sustainability for A Life-Long Home

The Association also established "Unlock Your Heart Social Enterprise Ltd." as their charity promotion department. For instance, promoting their organic products on a national scale through 17 Life e-commerce, other platforms of charity sales, and even the purchase priority platform of Ministry of Health and Welfare. Meanwhile, another organization called "Kindness Social Welfare and Care Association," founded in 2017 by the Angels' Home. It aims to serve seniors, single-parent families, new immigrants, and other disabled patients, providing multiple care and referral services.

The two organizations received management experiences from the Angels' Home and integrated cross-field resources to practice a profit return model by carrying out work assignments and cooperation. In this way, the Association can have sustainable development and become a role model for social enterprises.

In general, the Association would like to provide a shelter and efficient fit-in living environment for those who are suffering from disabled problems. Aside from creating a suitable living space, the Association intends to discover children's potential, to insist on natural, non-toxic, and healthy food to support aboriginal areas and mutual social assistance. In this place, the Angels can plant and grow their value to establish confidence and achievement.

"We'll appreciate your donation through the NPO Channel, as you adore our Angels much." The general director has got a sense of humor. With multiple management, the credit-winning Association is walking toward its goal.

The income is not the only thing that matters. The Association would like to help the minorities settle down, create industry ability, protect nature, and feel the meaning of life. They carried out concepts of promoting whole life, working, organic, and life. The Association believes that everyone is an angel, and they can make society better.

(Photo Story) The Angels entirely manage this Angels' Eco Park. A vivid natural ecosystem takes place here.

To love is to find your duties upon people who need it. Although building an ever-lasting home is harsh and long, it's not far away as long as you start your journey. The mercy donations, co-workers in this Association, and intern students made the Angels able to be warriors of life without surrender. They built an environment and cycle of kindness.

Case Story: Multi-Employment Promotion Program

Interviewee: Director General Chun-ping Chien- Association of Trouble Angels of Nantou County

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. 

Please attribute this article to “Workforce Development Agency, Ministry Of  Labor.”