More blessed to give than to receive
Hsu has walked a long and rough road and faced numerous criticisms along the way, but ever a faithful believer in God, she has worn a smile throughout. “If we can look at things with empathy, there are many misunderstandings that simply won’t arise,” she says, advocating for kindness and compassion over using the law to apportion blame. “They don’t really want that much, just to be treated fairly.” If one takes a caring perspective, there are no enemies, only friends.
“For Eid al-Fitr, foreign volunteers are organized to cooperatively share the work.” At celebrations hosted by the Taipei City Government in Daan Park, foreign volunteers are responsible for guiding, maintaining order, taking photos, and shooting video. The venue may be an open one, but the crowd remains orderly. “They won the chance to be part of the New Year’s Metro work on the back of their performance last Eid al-Fitr,” says Hsu.
Although volunteers had been through a selection process, they still kept asking staff if they thought they were up to it, revealing a feeling of anticipation tinged with fear of getting hurt. “Those of you who took part last year, please come share your experiences with everyone.” Now their faces no longer show embarrassment, but rather enthusiasm, as they stand up with a positive attitude and give the new volunteers a shot of confidence.
“Please come and draw lots to see which site you’ll be assigned to.” As each volunteer steps forward to the applause of the crowd, they smile excitedly. “I was hoping I’d get 101 and I did!” This year’s four key stations—Taipei Main Station, Taipei City Hall Station, Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station, and Xiangshan Station—all had support from volunteers from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
“They all really do love Taiwan.” Foreign volunteers joining in the 2020 New Year’s Eve Metro stewarding operation may come from different countries, but they all share a common belief in the value of serving Taiwan. When life is full of positive energy, it can light up the world. Seeing the efforts of these volunteers, Karen Hsu once again realizes the truth of Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
The Global Workers’ Upskill Center recruits Taiwanese teachers with professional chef’s licenses to teach cooking classes. (courtesy of GWO)
As well as taking courses, visitors to the center can also hang out with others from their various home countries, easing some of the inevitable homesickness. (courtesy of GWO)
The Global Workers’ Upskill Center provides Internet marketing courses, Indonesian new media courses and lessons in Bahasa Indonesia, with a number of Indonesian students who are studying in Taiwan serving as tutors. (courtesy of GWO)
These foreign volunteers, all carefully selected and trained, are proud to be able to serve their second home.