The team of volunteers joining Tzu Chi’s monthly Home Visits Day in Yunlin is steadily growing. Every month, they dedicate a Sunday to charity, and their joy in doing so keeps increasing. | Photo courtesy of Yi-da Tsai

On the fourth Sunday of every month, Tzu Chi volunteers in Yunlin, Taiwan, dedicate the day as "Home Visits Day". Volunteers, both young and old, gather to join in this activity of compassion. The number of participants ranges from 30 to 80 each time, making this Sunday community gathering not only heartwarming but also deeply meaningful.

Visits and Discussions

Eighty-year-old volunteer Yue-xiu Wu-Lin, who lives in Sihu Township, Yunlin, always rises early to dress in her Tzu Chi blue and white uniform in preparation for this day. She waits at home for fellow volunteer Pei-fen Li to pick her up and drive her to make visit the families supported by Tzu Chi. Meanwhile, senior volunteer Yu-pen Lin takes trainee volunteer Teng-yi Huang to Shuilin Township to visit elderly individuals living alone. Other volunteers will gather at the Tzu Chi office in Beigang to form teams and set off in groups of 7 to 12 to visit families in need.

Yunlin volunteers deeply engage with the community, also inviting young students to join in their efforts. Volunteers, along with students and faculty from Taiwan Shoufu University, extend their care to the elderly. | Photo courtesy of Yi-da Tsai

During these visits, volunteers of all ages support one another, learning from each other's acts of care. After the visits, they return to the office in  Beigang to enjoy a delicious lunch, lovingly prepared by another group of volunteers. The afternoon is spent discussing the morning's visits, addressing any issues, and brainstorming solutions together.

Volunteers Support A-lan’s Family

A-lan, 68, is one of the care recipients supported by Yunlin Tzu Chi volunteers. She shared with the volunteers, "People who haven't lived through hard times can't understand our struggles." A-lan's family is one of many struggling in Yunlin.

A-lan's husband was left immobile after suffering a stroke, and both her eldest son and daughter have physical and mental disabilities. Their house is severely damaged, and she worries about snakes and rats entering and biting her husband. The family still uses an old-style latrine and lacks a water heater.

A-lan's bathroom before renovation (right) and after renovation (left). | Photo courtesy of Yi-da Tsai

In 2009, Yunlin Tzu Chi volunteers worked with Tzu Chi’s construction department to renovate A-lan's home, providing clean bathroom facilities and a refreshed bedroom and kitchen space. In 2022, when the roof and beams were infested with termites, volunteers once again mobilized over 30 members to help. Despite the pandemic, they worked hard, wearing masks, to ensure A-lan had a safe and secure home.

Yunlin volunteers renovated A-lan's home. | Photo courtesy of Yi-da Tsai | 2022

Today, A-lan has become self-sufficient and is even a Tzu Chi donating member, contributing to help others. For the previous year-end blessing ceremony, she was also invited to share her life story on stage.

Calling on All to Join the Home-Visit Team and Help End Suffering

Tzu Chi volunteers in Yunlin have been holding their monthly "Home Visit Day" since 2015. Currently, they are caring for 170 households. Reflecting the collective aspiration of all the volunteers, Hsiu-kuei Chang hopes that through everyone's care, there will be no more suffering families in Yunlin.

Reported by Yi-da Tsai, Hsiu-kuei Chang, Tsui-lian Lin in Yunlin
Edited by Ya-ying Yang of Tzu Chi Foundation