Taiwanese communities in Toronto and Vancouver have raised more than $240,000 for relief work in Taiwan after Typhoon Morakot ravished the southern part of the island on Aug. 8. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan is carrying out the relief effort, but Presbyterian World Service and Development will administer the funds.
“It’s tremendous that support for this appeal has come from across the country,” said PWS&D director Ken Kim. “We thank the churches and community organizations who have given their vote of confidence to PWS&D to effectively administer their generous donations. The legacy of the Presbyterian Church’s mission in Taiwan remains overwhelmingly positive and the relationship has matured into a true partnership.”
Twenty-five different groups in Vancouver’s Taiwanese community responded to the disaster by organizing numerous fundraisers. The dual congregation of Kerrisdale/Vancouver Taiwanese, who worship in the same building, was one of these groups. They hosted a concert that featured music, a silent auction, and authentic Taiwanese food. Individuals from the congregation also took on their own mini-projects, including two young brothers who gathered their toys for a yard sale. “When they sold out, their neighbours brought some more for them to sell too,” said Ruth Chueh, a member of Vancouver Taiwanese. “They brought all the proceeds to the concert for donation.”
The concert raised about $30,000 of the more than $137,000 raised by all groups, and was sent to PWS&D in September. Chueh said fundraisers are ongoing, and the community was hoping to reach $200,000 by the end of October.
Meanwhile, the Association of Taiwanese Organizations in Toronto (including Taiwanese Presbyterian churches) raised more than $105,000 through numerous fundraising initiatives including a concert, golf tournament, barbeques, church services and a fundraising dinner in September.
In addition to the above fundraising efforts, PWS&D has received individual and congregation donations for a grand total of more than $307,000 as of mid-October.
The total estimate of the PCT’s response is more than $6 million, and is focused on indigenous communities underserved by the government. The response — and PCT’s role as facilitator — is helping to ensure that relief activities take into account the special needs of these communities.
The relief response covers several aspects, including temporary housing and daily necessities for six months for 2,000 people, educational assistance, psychosocial support to help victims deal with trauma, permanent housing, and employment assistance to help people rebuild their livelihoods.
According to Alex Macdonald, program coordinator for the Americas at PWS&D, the biggest issue facing both the people affected and the organizations working with them is land. “Land needs to be secured for the establishment of permanent housing, and thus negotiations are ongoing to resolve this issue and move ahead with the building of new homes,” he said.
