Introduction of Route 2 / Coummity Service for Active Aging

The Second Home for Residents of Zhongqin Village
The Power to Reverse the Underprivileged - When “Food” Comes, Fortune Turns

There were a lot of public housing in Zhongqin Neighborhood, among which “Nanjichang Public Housing” in Zhongqin Village has the longest history. This is where “Nanjichang Night Market” is located. Another feature that makes this neighborhood so special lies in the fact that it has the highest proportion of underprivileged groups in Taipei, including solitary elderly people, new immigrants, low-income households, and so on. In fact, 40% students at Taipei Municipal Zhongyi Elementary School in this neighborhood come from underprivileged families.
Mr. Fang, the chief of Village, notices the need and acts up for his community. For example, he arranges food delivery, food pickup and community dining services for solitary and underprivileged elderly. He also organizes after-school tutor programs for underprivileged students at elementary schools and junior high schools. He even renovates a general’s wasted residence in the community into a LOHAS center for the elderly and children. Having gathered various resources that he integrated through the years, he sets up Nanjichang Food Bank, Housebook 60 Cafe and Food Sharing Refrigerator. Moreover, he also curates a variety of activities for the elders in Zhongqin Village. Through fun competitions, for instance, the elders are encouraged to develop habits for regular exercise so that they can maintain energy and balance, slow the aging process and avoid falling down.

The activities he curates for children and teenagers include after-school tutoring programs, summer camps and festivals so that underprivileged children and teenagers no longer feel lonely and have nothing to do at home. They regard the community LOHAS center as a warm space for daily activities. In recent years, Coffee Course are offered for teenagers. The cafe not only becomes a safe gathering place for them but also cultivates their coffee skills. In this way, it can enhance their employability and opportunities. The adolescents who graduated from junior high school and have no intention to study can learn knowledge about coffee and acquire skills for making coffee. The group’s positive atmosphere at Housebook 60 Cafe enhances the teenagers’ self-efficacy and self-values. The Cafe’s internship program can further develop their employability. In the cultural activities that the cafe holds, they can cook coffee and serve the guests, from which they can develop necessary skills for hospitality industry.

Mr. Fang, the chief of Village, integrates resources from various sides and accumulates these resources for community service and care step by step. You are also sincerely welcomed to visit Nanjichang Community in Zhongqin Village!