Providence Volunteer Group — The Morning Light Youth Ministry Volunteer Group (Founded by Pastor Jung Myung Seok) — reaches out to over 60 stateless children. This article was reported in Taiwan’s popular “Next Magazine” (written by Song Zhimin) on 31st May 2016, and translated here.
This issue needs the public to help solve, because the Government is not able to fully help. It is the hope that the society can work with the Care Home to contribute their part through donations and actions. – Christian Zheng Lisi
Jung Myung Seok Establishes Providence Volunteer Group That Brings Joy to Stateless Children
Mother’s Day is always the highlight of May. But not all children have mothers. On Labor Day, Providence volunteer group — the Morning Light Youth Ministry Volunteer Group — became mothers for over 60 stateless children for a day. The group spent the day at the Care Home for Women and Young center in Wen Shan. As a result, the volunteers brought countless children joy, laughter, and warmth. The group strives to uphold the spirit of Jung Myung Seok who established the Christian Gospel Mission in Taiwan.
In one part of the program, volunteers read interactive pictures books with the theme “You are special” to the children. Since there were many volunteers, each volunteer could help a child one-on-one. So the interactions were intimate and heart-warming. As a result, the warmth raised expectations for the upcoming Mother’s Day.
On that special morning, young mothers also came to support the Providence volunteer group. The mothers prepared a scrumptious and healthy meal for all the children. Their desire was to provide the children the most nutritious food so that the children could grow well.
The babies that the center has adopted range from 0-3 years old. They are considered stateless babies because their parents do not have Taiwanese nationality. One of the reasons may be their parents are not married legally. If so, then the children cannot receive Taiwanese citizenship. And when that happens, babies cannot receive government subsidies or any medical treatment. So this has become a big issue in Taiwan.
The role of the Care Home for Women and Young center
In order to help stateless children and vulnerable families, the Care Home for Women and Young was established. Since then, it has become a safe haven for those it cares for. There are currently 1,070 children in China and over 30 adults who need help. In Taiwan, there are over 300 children, and among them, more than 70 don’t have any milk to drink.
The average yearly cost for basic living expenses is about $221,000-$253,000. On the other hand, the center does not have a reliable source of income. Their main source of income comes from public donations. However, they cannot always rely on public donations. More financial assistance and resources from society as a whole would help more.
About this, Secretary-General Yang Jie Yu said:
The Care Home center is currently providing assistance to the less fortunate of us in our society. They are mainly AIDS patients who face social discrimination and unemployment. Some are foreigners in Taiwan without a nationality. They face desperation in their life when they encounter legal issues in Taiwan, get sick, or go through pregnancies. And they have no relatives, no friends, and no resources. They are people who need our help. But even the government is facing its limitation on how much we can help. It is our hope that the community will rally together to help the Care Home center, whether it be to contribute financially or volunteer your time and service.
The Morning Light Youth Ministry Providence Volunteer Group
As part of the Christian Gospel Mission Taiwan that Jung Myung Seok established, the Morning Light Youth Ministry Volunteer Group comprises of many youths and students. Some of its members are as young as 6 years old while others are seniors above 60. The group is always actively recruiting talents from various fields of expertise. Their purpose is to serve and contribute to society while utilizing their professional expertise. This aligns with the mission and vision of the group. Their mission is to raise and develop the next generation of youth centering on their unique characteristics and individuality.
Since the establishment of the group, the team has been promoting a series of community service programs. Among other things, they support high school students and preschool. Sometimes, they also do charity runs while cleaning the beach or volunteering in people’s homes. They will organize their next charity run to be on June 25. Their goal is to raise funds and awareness for the Care Home center. They hope that more people from the community will come forth to help and support them.