At the Raohe Night Market, a stand in front of the Songshan Presbyterian Church sells tea, desserts, stationery items and gifts. At first glance, it doesn’t seem much different from neighboring stalls. Yet the stall, which is operated by Wanderers’ Table, is staffed by the homeless and other economically disadvantaged people. Wanderers’ Table embraces these people and cultivates their skills in food preparation, sales and interpersonal communication. It serves as a halfway house on their journey to reenter the labor force. 

Wanderers’ Table at the Raohe Night Market provides a friendly workplace for disadvantaged people, a place where they can engage in conversations with the general public.

Wanderers’ Table: Creating a friendly workplace

Founded in 2018, Wanderers’ Table came into being from the Songshan Presbyterian Church’s desire to use the space in front of the church in the public interest. It led them to the Philo Society, an NGO that has long been concerned with social issues. Yu Szu-hsien was then chairman of the group, and he explains that many of Philo’s members were deeply concerned about the plight of homeless people. The homeless, he notes, are easily overlooked by the social welfare system.

“Amid the focus that mainstream society puts on competition, why can’t there be a flexible space for our homeless brothers and sisters to rest a while and a platform for them to interact with other groups?” It was in this spirit that Yu, despite his background in social psychology and research, and culinary skills that he jokes were limited to preparing instant noodles, led homeless people and social workers in learning how to fry chicken, brew black tea, cook fish-shaped taiyaki cakes, and sell gifts.

Yu shares how one of the homeless men there is keen on introducing the book Street Survival Guide, because it records his story. Every time he mans the stall, he shares with customers the page where he is featured and jokingly offers to autograph it. Yu believes that with greater social interaction, homeless people will open up psychologically and teach themselves to take a more flexible approach to life.

The good news is that some of the disadvantaged persons trained by Wanderers’ Table have opened street stalls of their own. Although the Covid-19 pandemic reduced night-market crowds, those trained workers decided to stay put, revealing a confident and responsible attitude toward life.

Aiming to help all those in need, Yu Szu-hsien and his partners at the Philo Society are working hard on behalf of homeless people.

The trainees at Wanderers’ Table carefully prepare each beverage. The golden liquid of the tea is filled with hope.

Helping others at Fu Hsi Living Room

In 2021, when a major Covid-19 outbreak hit Taiwan, people here continued to spread goodwill: Many organizations serving the homeless, including Wanderers’ Table, went onto the streets to give out disease control supplies and meals.

Wanderers’ Table social workers noticed that trainees cooperated more and showed a softer side while distributing supplies, revealing a greater sense of fulfillment as they progressed to self-sufficiency and even to helping others. Consequently, to help more people needing assistance, the Philo Society in 2021 founded another space near the Wanhua railway station in Taipei City. The venue provides meals but also has social workers on duty to provide psychological counseling. Aspiring to offer a home-like warmth, it is named the Fu Hsi Living Room (fu hsi meaning “good fortune and happiness”).

Apart from providing meals, it also offers training courses. Many homeless people come from broken homes or dysfunctional families, or have been victims of violence. Often, to learn small tasks that are easy and habitual for most people, such as calculating wages or grooming themselves properly, they need repeated practice. They may need to learn how to communicate their thoughts, and how to deal with interpersonal conflicts without just running away. The social workers help them find the missing pieces of their life experience. Bit by bit their confidence grows, and that is key to finding a new footing in life.

The Fu Hsi Living Room offers training courses that build homeless people’s confidence to tackle life anew.

Yo Wash: Washing away both dirt and stigma

Likewise established during the pandemic, Yo Wash is a pressure-wash cleaning service that employs homeless people. Lin Li-ching, the author of the novel We, the Laborers, observed that the pandemic was increasing the ranks of the homeless. It prompted him to become an entrepreneur, working to bring about change through consequential action.

“For disadvantaged people to turn their lives around,” says Lin, “the best way is to select a skill and then practice it to a level that meets society’s needs.” He explains that when using a pressure washer to clean pavement, it is immediately obvious whether it is clean, and this will naturally foster a sense of accomplishment in the operator. And all you need is one piece of equipment that you teach someone how to operate, and they can rely on that skill to support themselves.

Since Yo Wash was founded at the beginning of 2022, Lin has led homeless workers to clean outdoor spaces at locations including the Red House Theater in Ximending, Sacred Heart Girls’ High School in Bali, the Xiahai City God Temple, and the Báng-kah Presbyterian Church. When people see them working hard, washing away grime and making these surfaces look new again, Lin hopes that it will wash away the stigma attached to being homeless. Far from being lazy, many homeless people are simply trapped in situations where it is difficult to extract themselves from poverty.

With Keelung’s abundant rainfall, the exercise grounds and walkways of schools there tend to become slippery with moss. Out of concern for students’ safety, Yo Wash workers have pressure washed more than ten campuses in the city. When the teachers and students step forward to express their thanks, it gives these homeless workers a great sense of accomplishment.

So that more people can improve their situation through pressure-washing work, Lin has joined forces with the Against Wind theater group, which has long worked with troubled youths in Taiwan. The two organizations are aiming to teach skills to youths who have troubled home lives, are school truants or dropouts, or are poor academic achievers. From being helped, they can turn to helping others and through that process of empowerment realize that they can truly turn their lives around. 

Yo Wash teaches homeless people and others to operate pressure washers. These work skills help to wash away stereotypes that many hold about disadvantaged groups.

Entrepreneurship for the disadvantaged

A job not only is a way of earning some income, but also represents an opportunity to stand on one’s own feet, thus bringing hope amid life’s struggles. Located in Taichung, Jujiamei is a cleaning company that cares for the disadvantaged by putting a priority on employing homeless people, formerly incarcerated persons, people with physical or mental impairments, and older workers.

On the recommendation of various social welfare agencies, Jujiamei has been contracted to clean community centers and public agencies. “Big Brother” Wang, who has been working for Jujiamei for several years, came on the introduction of the Eden Social Welfare Foundation. An amputee as a result of a workplace accident, he was also injured in a traffic accident and suffered a stroke. He feels very fortunate that he met Jujiamei’s cofounder, Andy Chang, at a point of great despair in his life. Chang did not look askance at his age but instead taught him step by step to perform this cleaning work, giving Wang a new opportunity to stand up and support his family.

Over the years, Chang has helped countless disadvantaged people to reenter the workforce, and Jujiamei’s model has attracted others who share Chang’s ideals. Using an unpaid franchise model, more than ten other cleaning companies have been established under the Jujiamei umbrella around Taiwan. Like-minded people from Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, Japan and elsewhere have also contacted Chang to invite him to their countries to share his operating model.

The poverty faced by homeless people, those with criminal records, and other disadvantaged groups is an issue in every country. Perhaps the Taiwanese experience can serve as an example for the international community. Meanwhile, back in Taiwan, disadvantaged people are gradually gaining the skills and courage to survive so that they may ultimately emerge from poverty. The goal is one that Yu Szu-hsien has long championed: “We hope that no one in society will fall through the cracks.” 

Yang Yulan and her husband Andy Chang founded the cleaning service Jujiamei to provide employment opportunities for homeless people, ex-convicts, mentally and physically disabled people, and members of other marginalized groups.

Taiwan has many organizations that are like the Fu Hsi Living Room, offering a space for homeless people to spend time and brightening Taiwan’s society in the process.