By Andrew Wu

My name is Drew and I’m one of the co-founders of SALT. We work alongside Lighthouse Prison Ministry and provide volunteers for Taipei Prison’s Annual Christmas Party. There are roughly over 300 foreign inmates in Taipei Prison, where they don’t usually have the luxury of having family members and friends visiting them. Though they are incarcerated as retribution, we believe in a chance for reformation and rehabilitation. Most importantly, everyone deserves love, especially during a holiday season of giving. This event is a chance for them to congregate and celebrate the festivities through dance, music, and food. 

 

Lighthouse Prison Ministry has been around for over a decade and needed a consistent group of volunteers for this event. In 2018, a mutual friend introduced this opportunity to us and right off the bat we knew this was something that we wanted to be involved in. The primary goal is to give the inmates a good time but also to let them feel loved by serving them. These foreign inmates are definitely a marginalized group that can receive an impact of love through our volunteers. Many of the foreign inmates are from countries that celebrate Christmas and oftentimes this holiday season is a time for family and friends to get together. As hard as the conditions may be, we try our best to bring some joy and hope through this event.

 

This party resonates with many of the inmates and they need to be in good behavior in order to attend the party. They also have a band, where inmates would spend months practicing in anticipation to perform at the party. I don’t want to assume they love it, but it’s hard to hide behind the smiles and gratitude on their faces. It was a rewarding experience to be able to chat with the inmates and simply serve them. Initially I wondered about the environment we’d be in, along with how friendly they would be towards us. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how organized and clean the environment was. The general attitude of all the inmates were very friendly and definitely felt very safe as well. Maybe it was due to the time constraint, I realized there was less small talk and the inmates who wanted to talk really opened up about their experiences and shared some pretty deep reflections.

 

Organizing any event or party is not easy, let alone the logistics involving a prison. However, Lighthouse Prison Ministry has a really good long standing relationship and has already developed a rapport with several wardens. The challenge comes down to whether they want to expand to more prisons and/or create opportunities for local inmates as well.

 

I think it’s important to help change the perception that inmates are all just criminals. It’s just as dangerous as the narrative of all the homeless being lazy drug addicts. These labels create obstacles in helping individuals receive the resources necessary for reparation and reformation. Therefore it’s vital for organizations to break through these barriers and see each individual as people that simply need love and compassion. When people feel like someone cares about them, sometimes that’s all it takes for real change to occur. Afterall, that initial lack of care might’ve influenced the choices that were made to place them in the predicament they are in today. In the end, it’s not our aim to judge, but instead spend more time focusing on how to love.

 

Serving the marginalized is always a humbling and rewarding experience. However, like any ministry, real impact comes from consistency. The relationships and foundations built from that is what creates a lasting imprint for real change. Due to the nature of this ministry, it’s not open publicly to everyone, but if you have a heart for this cause, reach out to us. One love and #staysalty

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1.) Where can I volunteer in Taiwan?

 

SALT Collectiv is a nonprofit headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan that hosts volunteer opportunities to serve the marginalized. Volunteer opportunities include serving the homeless through our SALT soup kitchen, orphanage visitations, elderly care, biannual beach cleanups, and our annual Christmas Giving Tree that gives over 1,000 gifts each year to the marginalized all over Taiwan. We also have fundraiser events such as trivia nights, bake sales, F45 workouts, carwashes, and many more. Our FUNdraiser events bring the fun into building our community. Come checkout our community and join the movement.  

 

2.) Can foreigners volunteer in Taiwan?

 

Yes! SALT Collectiv is a diverse international community of volunteers uniting for the purpose of making a lasting imprint for the vulnerable and marginalized. There are no prerequisites required to sign up for events and we welcome expats and locals alike to join our community. We ask only that you come with a heart to serve. When individuals come together, dedicating their time and talent to serve the marginalized, lives are touched and communities are transformed. In volunteering, you engage in causes bigger than yourself, cultivate meaningful relationships and positively impact your community.

 

3.) Is it possible to volunteer with children in Taiwan?

 

Yes! SALT Collectiv welcomes and encourages children of all ages to participate in our volunteer events. However, parents will be solely responsible for the actions, behavior, and whereabouts of their children.