Defense News

(Interviewed by Reporter Liu, De-Ching from Military News Agency)
“In the compulsory military service, I can even participate in the club and help people in need”, said Private First Class Chiu, Yen-Chang from Company Three of Mixed Artillery Battalion in Huadong Defense Command. Coincidently, he participated in the planning work of “Family Caring Tutoring Club” as a volunteer and experienced a “caring” journey in the military service.
Chiu, Yen-Chang said that the planning of the club was completed under the support of participating soldiers and officers, and the club started to recruit volunteers. Many soldiers have registered as volunteers. Everyone thought that helping people in need was a great and meaningful achievement, even though they had to sacrifice the rest at night.
“New Dawn Nursing Institution is a special institution, where the elderly and children with special care are hospitalized”, said Chiu, Yen-Chang. Currently, the institution serves patients with mental retardation, Down's syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, multiple barriers, and severe and very severe illness. Many of them need to sit on wheelchairs. At the first time of service, the scene had a great impact on Chiu because he rarely contacted these types of people regularly. However, after getting along with them step by step, Chiu found that they were actually the same like common people, so he got involved quickly and strove to bring happiness to them. Chiu said that all the hard work became worthy when seeing patients’ smile because of our visit.
Private First Class Fan, Tso-Hsuan from Communication Company in Huadong Defense Command, who served at the same institution, said that he would choose the experience in volunteering for New Dawn Nursing Institution at night from this April, rather than the personal honor from the best specialty training achievement or the teamwork results from the base training, as the most proud thing in his military service lasting almost one year. Fan, Tso-Hsuan emphasized that this volunteer experience allowed these soldiers enlisted in the compulsory military service to protect the country and specifically fulfill the vocation of caring for people
Fan, Tso-Hsuan stated that the club planned different recreational activities every week to allow these angels, who stay in the institution all day, to feel relaxed and stretch their bodies in two hours. The members of the club experienced the meaning of life from every interactive service and saw these angels’ simple yet extraordinary souls. 
Private First Class Chou, Ming-Hsien, who is about to be discharged in August, said that in these three months, the members of the club led the patients in New Dawn Nursing Institution to participate in various activities and know everyone from the activity ‘the name snowball”. Working as a volunteer in New Dawn Nursing Institution, the members of the club not only made efforts, but also obtained many unforgettable life experiences from the patients. As a result, Chou hoped the program could proceed indefinitely to spread the care of national armed forces to every disadvantaged and embody the spirit of caring for people.