Volunteer Ministers Bring Help to Hualien
After the collapse of a dam sent floodwaters through Guangfu, VMs teamed up with officials and citizens to restore hope and stability.
Heavy rains from Typhoon Ragasa caused a dam to collapse in the mountains above Hualien, unleashing a torrent that swept through Guangfu Township, killing 18 people, injuring many more and leaving hundreds of homes buried in mud. The Volunteer Ministers of Taiwan, well familiar with the area after responding to last year’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake, immediately mobilized to bring help to those affected.
The VMs quickly coordinated with Hualien County officials and set up their bright yellow tent in Guangfu to serve as a base for relief. They assisted in clearing mud, transporting survivors and volunteers and providing much-needed spiritual and emotional support. Seeing their efficiency, county authorities asked the VMs to take over organizing volunteers coming from all over Taiwan, a role that quickly became vital to the overall disaster response.
Each day, the VM tent was a hub of help, with volunteers—drivers, electricians, plumbers and local shop owners—joining forces under VM direction to restore essential services and deliver aid. More than 70 VMs cleared nearly 6,000 tons of debris and helped over 200 families restore their shops and homes. Once again, VMs proved their motto true: “Something Can Be Done About It.”
WE REALLY WANT TO hear FROM YOU
Volunteer Ministers don’t fear life’s daily disasters. Why? Because they have the tools and skills to face them—and overcome them. Hear from those whose lives were changed.
UNITED KINGDOM—PUBLIC RELATIONS
“This course has been immensely helpful to me at a very difficult time in my life. It is fantastic that this course has been made so widely available online—accessible free of charge to residents of a variety of countries and continents. Anybody with a willingness to learn can gain access to a lot of knowledge and effective practical advice. Before I started this course I was grieving, exhausted and generally feeling hopeless in the face of constant hardship. Now I am feeling much stronger. This course has helped me immensely. I now have a much more positive mind-set. Thank you, Volunteer Ministers and Tools for Life online team!”
COLOMBIA—DYNAMICS OF EXISTENCE
“By taking this course, I gained a much better understanding of how each area of my life is connected. Before, I saw problems as isolated events, but now I understand that what affects one part of my life can impact all the other dynamics.”
RWANDA—MARRIAGE
“The course really opened up my mind and helped me see how my communication with my wife was poor. I noticed myself being calmer in tough conversations and not lashing out or getting angry as I used to, but more understanding and trying to work on closing the communication gap and not withholding anymore. Thank you for the tools and the insight on how to improve myself, as communication was a major problem for me not only toward my wife but socially as I would withhold a lot and then explode.”
NEPAL—ALL 19 COURSES
“I completed the full series of 19 courses. Each course challenged me to see life from a sharper perspective and gave me tools I can apply in real situations. What I’ve gained isn’t just theory, it is a stronger sense of responsibility, a clear way to handle people and a deeper focus on keeping my integrity no matter what comes my way.”
FACTS
EVERYDAY DISASTERS
VMs have solutions for every circumstance—major catastrophes and everyday disasters.
40
PERCENT
of marriages end
in divorce.
1.2 MILLION
STUDENTS
drop out of high school every year in the United States alone.
421 MILLION
HOSPITALIZATIONS
internationally each year.
19 MILLION
EMPLOYEES
were laid off from their jobs in a single year in the United States.
74
PERCENT
of people surveyed in the UK said they are so stressed that they are overwhelmed or unable to cope.
TRAINING THOSE WHO HELP OTHERS
Volunteer Ministers provide physical support and spiritual aid at hundreds of disaster sites. Through one-on-one and group training, they also bring assistance in meeting the challenges of everyday life.
Volunteer Minister training is available to anyone, anywhere, through free online Tools for Life courses in 19 subjects, including how to study, communication, marriage, parenting, dealing with stress, success in the workplace, achieving goals, disaster relief and many more.
Anyone who desires to help others may increase their skills and opportunities for volunteer service.
