News Title｜Taichung City Seaport Art Center

“I may not be meticulous, but I have always been brimming with energy and enthusiasm,” remarked 77-year-old Ms. Lo Yang Hsiu-feng, who has volunteered at the Taichung City Seaport Art Center for over 23 years, amassing more than 21,000 service hours. She humorously noted that after retiring due to spinal surgery, she treated volunteering as her rehabilitation, reporting for duty punctually each day to serve the community. This routine improved her well-being and brought her joy. Winning this year’s Volunteer Lifetime Contribution Award came as a surprise and a great happiness for her. Meanwhile, Ms. Tsao Yueh-hua, a volunteer leader at the Taichung City Dadun Cultural Center, has diligently undertaken numerous demanding responsibilities. After retiring from Feng Chia University, she was inspired by the center's vibrant artistic atmosphere and chose to dedicate herself to supporting its activities. She has also contributed to administrative tasks, including organizing and archiving records. Over the past three decades, her unwavering commitment has earned her the Taichung Volunteer Service First-Class Medal and the Dadun Center's 30-Year Volunteer Service Award, garnering respect and admiration.

According to the Taichung City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, the city’s cultural volunteers demonstrate exceptional dedication and have earned widespread acclaim. On December 21 and 22, the Dadun Cultural Center and the Seaport Art Center held volunteer recognition and certification ceremonies. At the Dadun Cultural Center, awards such as the Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Taichung City Volunteer Service Award, and the Dadun Volunteer Team Excellence and Service Awards were distributed, with 92 individuals receiving honors. The Seaport Art Center, on the other hand, presented a range of awards, including the Volunteer Lifetime Contribution Award from the Taiwan Association for Volunteer Effort, the Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Taichung City Volunteer Service Award, as well as the Center Volunteer Team's 20-Year Service Award, the Excellence Award, the Port Art Center Diligence Award, and the Full Attendance Award for Quarterly Meetings. In total, 270 individuals were awarded, highlighting the strength and remarkable contributions of volunteers in supporting cultural endeavors.

According to the Dadun Cultural Center, Senior Executive Officer Chu Chiung-fen from the Cultural Affairs Bureau presented the certifications and awards to 149 volunteers at yesterday's volunteer certification and award ceremony. During her remarks, Chu extended deep appreciation to the volunteers for their efforts in October’s event “Condensation Nuclei—A Special Exhibition of Art Groups Across Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan.” She praised the volunteers as the unsung heroes behind the exhibition's success. Throughout the exhibition, the center’s volunteer team contributed extensively, with nearly 100 shifts of guide services and over 300 shifts of exhibition assistance, amounting to over 1,000 service hours. Their dedication of time and effort has contributed to the wider recognition of Taiwanese art development through 100 iconic artworks, ensuring the event was an exceptional presentation.

This year, Li Yueh-ying, Cho Chi-ling, and Huang Ju-yin, who received the Volunteer Service Award - Gold Medal from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, are all members of the volunteer team's performing arts division. They assist with front-line services for performances at the Zhongshan Hall, ensuring the best experience for the audience. Additionally, Chang Liao Kuei-chih, honored with the Taichung City Volunteer Service Award - First-Class Medal, has been volunteering alongside his wife, Ms. Yang Hsiu-ling, for many years. Together, they consistently help attendees with registration at Masters Lecture events, and their warm smiles always earn praise and thumbs up from the public.

The Seaport Art Center noted that its volunteer team, established in March 2000, is now entering its 25th year, consistently following its guiding principle of “doing good deeds, improving health, making friends, gaining wisdom.” To honor the volunteers' selfless contributions to arts promotion, the center held a volunteer recognition and certification ceremony today. The event, themed “Spreading Love through Actions, Building Dreams through Volunteerism,” featured volunteer leader Lin Shih-ming and team officers guiding various DIY workshops and promoting the arts education program, “Little Egret Tells Stories,” allowing more people to discover the joy of crafting. Team Leader Lin commented that organizing these events from scratch is a challenging but rewarding process. Witnessing the participants’ passion makes all the effort worthwhile.

Today, Chief Secretary Hsiao Ching-ping of the Cultural Affairs Bureau presented certifications and awards to 177 volunteers. Hsiao highlighted that these volunteers are Taichung's most valuable cultural supporters, playing a vital role in the success of events and in bringing the arts to the city. This year, the Seaport Art Center’s volunteers contributed a total of 28,000 service hours. Of these, 35 volunteers worked over 200 hours, 6 volunteers surpassed 500 hours, and the dedicated volunteer Chen Yue-hui accumulated 55 learning hours. Additionally, 10 volunteers served as instructors, sharing their passion and professional skills. Hsiao thanked the volunteers for their enthusiasm and effort, recognizing their immense support in driving the city's cultural and artistic development.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau further expressed their gratitude to the volunteers for their united efforts in promoting Taichung's cultural scene. The bureau's various departments are continuing their enthusiastic recruitment of cultural volunteers and invite everyone to join in building the vision of “With You as a Volunteer, Happiness is in Taichung.” For more information, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau's official website (https://tcsac.taichung.gov.tw/).