Baking for Independence

Xiao Jin (a pseudonym) , 30 years old this year, is experiencing his 10th career change. With his lively and cheerful personality, he loves exploring the diversity of the world. In early March this year, Xiao Jin returned to the Hsih Ann North District Job Reintegration program to seek employment assistance and told his job coach, "This time, I want to find a job I can stay in for a long time!"

Since 2016, we have assisted Xiao Jin multiple times. He even worked in the south of Taiwan for a while, facing various challenges and job transitions. This time marks his tenth career change, and he expressed his desire to pursue stability. The job search process was not easy. Accompanied by an employment counselor, Xiao Jin attended several interviews, but there was no response. He humorously mentioned that one interview took place in a remote mountain area, making him wonder if he would get lost. Despite these challenges, Xiao Jin did not give up and continued to search for suitable opportunities.

Finally, after submitting resumes to over 20 companies and attending four interviews, Xiao Jin found a new job that he truly enjoys. With the support and training from his employment counselor, Xiao Jin gradually learned new skills and quickly adapted to his role as an operator. Three months into stable employment, one day Xiao Jin sent a message to his job coach saying: "Thank you for helping me find such a suitable job." Seeing Xiao Jin’s journey from uncertainty before the job change to successfully finding stable work is not only a success for Xiao Jin but also a source of motivation for all of us working in the Job Reintegration program.

Han Er Á Yuán (a pseudonym) has a habit of watching the news every day and always keeps track of weather developments. Recently, during a report about an approaching typhoon, he immediately told his caregivers and peers, "Typhoon Shan Tuo Er is coming!" All day long, he listened to the radio broadcasts about the typhoon's movements, and everyone found it difficult to focus on their work. Despite the clear skies outside, they were worried that it was the calm before the storm.

The day before the typhoon, the caregivers and service recipients worked together to prepare for the storm by moving outdoor plants and cleaning tools inside. However, the powerful Typhoon Shan Tuo Er made landfall directly, hitting southern Taiwan hardest. Watching the news report about the severe damage in Kaohsiung, the social worker from Green Wilderness couldn’t help but worry and decided to inspect the site as the winds and rains subsided. Upon arrival, the devastation was evident. A giant tree had fallen, crushing the office’s metal roof, and tables and chairs placed on the guest patio had been blown over by the fierce winds.

After a four-day break, the 10 service recipients returned to work on their first day, wearing gloves and working together to move broken tree branches, tree trunks, signboards from the grass, and to put the overturned tables and chairs back in place. The team spent two full days swiftly restoring Green Wilderness to its former state. They placed the plants that had been moved indoors back on the flower racks, bringing color back to the space. With their hard work and patience, they restored the environment with care and unity. It was truly heartwarming to see the team come together to make it happen!