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What if, I didn’t have to spend my days in front of the TV?
What if, I could have warm meal boxes for lunches and dinners?
What if, my children would remember to call home when there’s a typhoon or an earthquake?
What if, someone could go to the hospital to pick up my medication for me as I can no longer walk?
How wonderful would it be if all of these could be true!

In September 1993, Taiwan’s population of 65 years and older reached 7% nationwide, which officially made it a rapidly aging society by UN’s definition. According to the Executive Yuan’s Directorate General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics’ projection from a few years ago, the aging population was expected reach 10% by 2010, 14% by 2020, and 20% by 2031, where 1 out of 5 person in the population would be a senior citizen. In reality, Taiwan’s aging rate is far more rapid than it was projected. By March 2007, the senior citizen population has reached 10.05%, which is 3 years earlier than projected. At this aging rate, it is highly likely that Taiwan’s aging population will reach 14% as early as 2016. Rising from 7% to 14% in merely 23 years could create a world record in the aging rate, surpassing the rapidly aging Japanese society by a year, and ranking first amongst the world in this respect is a highly alarming sign.

As these worrisome numbers constantly appear in the new statistics, we clearly sensed the immense shift in population structure and were aware that senior citizens’ issues could nott afford to wait any longer. It was under these circumstances that Hondao Senior Citizen’s Welfare Foundation was founded in March 31, 1995. To better serve senior citizens who live alone throughout Taiwan, the core members of the Foundation created Republic of China (Taiwan) Hondao Volunteer Association with local volunteer stations island-wide by October 18, 1998.

We welcome you to join us in building a complete network for elderly care.
Every single donation is a powerful symbol of love,
join us in bring meaningful life back to the elderly.

Postal Wiring Donation: Please ask for a “Postal Wiring Service Form” at the Post Office, and fill in the wiring account number :2194172-9 account name: Hondao Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation.

Credit Card Donation: Please go to our website and download the “Credit Card Donation Form” and fax or mail the completed form to the Foundation.

Cash Donation: Please visit any of our service centers or volunteer stations for cash donations.

Check Donation: Please indicate Pay to the order of: Hondao Senior Citizen Welfare Foundation, marking it non-transferable with crossed lines and mail it to the Foundation via registered mail.

The Foundation will provide a formal receipt for every single donation received, for the purpose of tax exemption at the end of the year. Each donation will be listed in our computer database, which is open for scrutiny both from the government as well as the public. The donation information will be published in our regular publication and on our webpage.

Since its inception, Hondao has been actively cultivating the field of senior citizen welfare throughout the years. Our core services for senior citizens have included:
Senior Broadway Show; Award for families residing with three generation--building respect and care for the parents and grandparents; Nation-wide Volunteer Stations and Volunteer Services Nationwide, providing volunteer opportunities; TimeDollar—Mutual Support Coupons; Hot Meal Services; Community Care Checkpoints; Domestic Care Service; Senior Citizen Day Care Service; Halfway House-Short Stay; Senior Citizen Leisure Activities;Senior Citizen Welfare Service Consultation.
For 13 years, we have continuously provided care and service for senior citizens without interruption. We couldn’t have accomplished this without the active assistance and resources provided by numerous friends of the Foundation. Now, we look forward to your participation and assistance, in the hope that Hondao can continue to its work in the great cause of Senior Citizen Welfare.

I.　Senior Broadway Show 
“Having a dream is the best preventive medicine.” In 2012, Hondao produced“Senior Broadway Show”, offering ordinary seniors an opportunity to proudly strive and thrive in front of peers and family. “Senior Broadway Show” is a distinctive musical that awakens the potential and youthful enthusiasm of its elderly performers, and alters the multi-generational audience’s preconception about aging. It builds confidence and strengthens wellness and social connection between performers and society. Barriers of ageism crumble on the journey of self-discovery and rekindled deference. Every year, the show mobilizes 300+ performers, 300+ volunteers and nearly 10,000 audience members.

II.　Award for families residing with three generations— building respect and care for the parents and grandparents replica watches for men, prada replica bags
One of the greatest joys for elderly individuals is to be able to have their children greet them each day. To promote respect and the importance of care parents and grandparents, our foundation began to sponsor the “Award for families residing with three generations” in 1998. To date, we have sponsored 12 years of award ceremony, honoring a total of 1,152 model families. Through this activity, we hope to promote the idea that “family ties are not burdens, instead, they are the foundation of strengths,” thus encouraging a positive of respect and appreciation for the parents and grandparents amongst all families. The moral value of respect, appreciation, and care, also known as “filial piety and deeds” have long been ingrained in the culture; however, in response to the changes in family structures, we have redefined the idea of “family residing with three generations” to “neighbors residing amongst three generations,” allowing senior citizens who live near a two generation family to join this ceremony as well. The promotion of “filial deeds” should not be restricted by the diminishing physical living space, in fact, more caring interactions should be encouraged. Concurrently, the foundation began the “Hondao instant-call, safety check-call” campaign, to encourage adult children to express their concerns for their elderly family members via phone calls.

III.　Nation-wide Volunteer Stations and Volunteer Services:
In order to promote the spirit of volunteerism, the Foundation has established Volunteer Stations throughout Taiwan. Currently, there is a total of 46 stations island-wide, spanning 14 county and cities, with a total of 1,514 volunteers providing free services to the homes of senior citizens to assist with domestic chores, cleaning, shopping, letter writing, hospital visits, leisurely walks, and material support as well as conducting visits and providing company by simply talking with them in person or on the phone.

IV.　Time Dollar—Mutual Support Coupons
In response to the growing needs for senior citizen care, our foundation created the “Volunteer Hours Bank” when we were founded in 1995. In addition to setting up local volunteer stations, we also strive to build strategic alliances with organizations that provide senior citizen care services. Through the “volunteer hours exchange service,” volunteers can store their service hours, and “withdraw” the hours when they themselves are in need of assistance. In order to fully promote the spirit of “Volunteer Hours Bank” while stressing mutual help and raising community consciousness, actual “Time Dollar (Mutual Help Coupon) were created and are in circulation. We believe that this is a means for the community to help and benefit each other while developing mutual trust.

V.　Hot Meal Services
There are growing numbers of senior citizens that do not have access to nutritious meals for reasons such as their deteriorating health, worsening financial situations, and living alone. Beginning 2000, our Foundation began to provide meal services in the hope to end the malnutrition situation for many senior citizens. Currently, the service area includes Chien Jin District in Kaoshiung City (serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Liu Jia and Liu Ying Townships in Tainan County (serving lunch and dinner), and Fushan, Da Liao, and Lin Yuan Townships in Kaoshiung County (serving lunch).

VI.　Community Care Checkpoints:
In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, the Foundation began its “Community Care Checkpoint Implementation Plan” in 2005 in the hope that senior citizens can live in their familiar surroundings while enjoying the care and support from their neighbors. During the day, the Community Care Checkpoints seek to provide a space where senior citizens could socialize, attend activities, and obtain care-giving information and resources. Volunteers are also available for those senior citizens who reside alone.

Currently, the Foundation has established or taking over the management of nine different checkpoints with three in Taichung city, four in Taichung county, and one in Chiayi County, and one in Kaohsiung City. By 2007, the Southern Taiwan Service Center became part of the Southern Taiwan City and County Governments advising task force, while the Headquarters took over the advising contract for the Taichung City Community Care Checkpoints and developing potential checkpoints in Taichung County.

VII.　Domestic Care Service
The foundation has taken on the contracts with city and county governments through our service centers in northern, central, and southern Taiwan to provide domestic care services by caregivers. The service can be divided into two major categories, one of which is “House chores and regular care-giving service,” including laundry, living environment maintenance, house chores, paperwork services, meal services, shopping services or accompanying shopper service, the service also includes taking the elderly to the hospital or contacting medical facilities on their behalf, legal advice, and other relevant domestic care services. The second major service is “body care service,” which includes assistance in bathing, changing into clean clothing, eating, taking medication, turning in bed, back-patting, joint-movement exercises, getting into and out of bed, exercising, and help in using supporting apparatus around the house, and other services.

VIII..　Senior Citizen Day Care Service
Since May 2005, the Northern Taiwan Service Center took over the management of Taipei Municipal Elderly Day Care Center, serving elderly persons that are 65 years old or above and are mildly or moderately disabled as well as persons that are 55 years old or above and suffering from dementia and require day care or human company. The Day Care is run by a professional team of social workers, nurses, and caregivers who jointly offer services through case management, daily care, rehabilitation, bodily revitalization training, basic nursing care, leisurely activities, support for family members, transportation services, and more. By providing a sense of community and regular contact with the society, the Day Care seeks to increase the senior citizens’ ability to take care of themselves, slow down the aging process, and provide a breathing space for their family members. Not only do the elderly receive proper care during the day and return home to enjoy family life at night, it also allows their children to work during the day.

IX.　Halfway House-Short stay
In collaboration with quality community long-term care facilities, the Halfway House was established in March 2003 to provide shelter for those senior citizens who still require temporary housing or rehabilitative care but do not have access to such services. Some cases include those who require rehabilitation after hospitalization due to accidents or
diseases but do not have anyone to care for them; those who require temporary housing because they are homeless, lost, or deserted by family and require emergency shelter and caretaking for their diseases. The home also provides temporary housing for mentally disabled senior citizens whose family member are going out of town for a short period of time. Through a system in which individuals, hospitals, or other social welfare organizations report cases to the halfway home, our foundation’s social worker than conducts an evaluation and arrange for an appropriate care facility, provide temporary shelter, or transfer the case to an appropriate long-term care facility.

X.　Senior Citizen Leisure Activities
The Foundation regularly holds Croquet, Bridge, and other Tournaments for Senior Citizens. Each volunteer station also holds festive activities such as rice dumpling making during Dragon Boat Festival, moon cake making during Autumn Festival, and field trips for senior citizens. Moreover, when the Southern Taiwan Service Center took over the management of Kaohsiung Chien Jin Senior Citizen Center in 1999, it began to provide social opportunities in the form of the Senior Citizen Academy, Karaoke, Health Promotion, Sports Facilities, and other services. These activities are designed to encourage senior citizens to visit the center, socialize, and enjoy learning and other fun group activities. The Center will also hold festive celebrations during special holidays, such as making rice dumplings and moon cakes, and more. Bridge, Croquet, and Story-Telling Tournaments are also held as well. In 2007, the first ever “80 challenge, over 1000 km~ forever young motorcyclists’ diary” activity, leading grandparents in their seventies and eighties to fulfill the dream of riding around the island. In addition to stressing the positive value of senior citizen’s lives, it was also another way for all of Taiwan to witness that lives are able to shine regardless of age.

X.　Senior Citizen Welfare Service Consultation
As we transition into a rapidly aging society, the government has collaborated with several non-governmental organizations to provide services to meet the need of the aging population. However, these services are not always well publicized and are unable to reach the public effectively. In response to such a situation, the Foundation provides free consultation services for senior citizens, their family members, and the general public regarding the social welfare information relevant to the senior citizens, referrals for senior citizens who need social welfare services, and any other related concerns that are concerning senior citizens. The consultation can be reached via telephone, mail, or by leaving a message on the website.