On July 30, TSMC Charity Foundation Chairperson Sophie Chang came to St. Raphael Opportunity Center in Tainan, a day care center for taking care of adults with disabilities and children with developmental disabilities. Sophie was excited about the day ahead because she knew she was about to realize another ideal for “sustainable philanthropy.”
“I saw the needs of people and the importance of responding to them.”
The TSMC Charity Foundation has teamed up with the Tainan City Government and the National Cheng Kung University to help the 46-year-old St. Raphael Opportunity Center “go green.” First, they changed all the lightbulbs to energy-efficient LED lightbulbs, then painted the roof with thermal insulation coating, and finally installed solar panels on the roof. This renovation is estimated to create 2.7 million kwh of green electricity that the facility can use for sale after self-consumption, providing the facility with a long-term and steady income.
TSMC Charity Foundation Chairperson Sophie Chang attended the opening ceremony for the renovated St. Raphael Opportunity Center, where she learned about solar power and the facility’s adoption of a sustainable and green model.
TSMC Charity Foundation’s energy conservation plan has provided the financially struggling facility with a steady source of income. Thanking Sophie Chang, director of the facility Lee Shueh-Ying said excitedly that the facility is now finally able to implement plans that have long been in discussion with the additional funds.
“I just heard from the director that the solar panels not only saves 400 kwh of electricity, it can actually bring the facility income,” said Sophie with a warm smile. She wasn’t expecting such a big reward for she was only hoping to reduce electricity costs for the facility and protect the children’s eyesight.
“I have never changed my initial objective for doing philanthropy, and that is to respond to people’s needs. Only this time, we not only managed to do that, we also achieved energy conservation. I have never expected anything in return for doing charity, but I am very pleased to see that an ideal has been realized,” said Sophie.
With the installation of the solar panels, the facility may reduce its energy bill. The additional funds could be used for better purposes for the children and the senior residents at the facility. TSMC Charity Foundation Chairperson Sophie Chang and TSMC colleagues launched the first “sustainable philanthropy” project in Taiwan.
“Problems are a source of power and learning opportunity for me.”
However, to achieve an ideal goal, it takes wisdom, tenacity and the courage to beat against all odds. For the solar panel installation this time, TSMC Charity Foundation actually encountered many obstacles. Since social welfare buildings are usually on lease, they don’t meet the conditions of private properties. Further, issues with electricity generation and maintenance in due course popped up. There were issues at every stage, that even the director of the facility, upon hearing TSMC’s installation plan, has said “it’s not going to be an easy task.”
Nonetheless, for Sophie, philanthropy has never been a walk in the park. She has always chosen to tackle the most difficult issues and solve the most challenging complications. “Who is going to solve these problems if I don’t? What will happen to these people?” she said.
However, how does one overcome an obstacle? Sophie, who has received profound Buddhist teachings, would always come back to the problem with a different way of thinking. “Problems are like a knot. With a great team behind me, I know I can disentangle the knot from another angle.” By inviting the Tainan City Government and Cheng Kung University, the TSMC Charity Foundation has utilized the fortes and expertise of different units and set an example for a “sustainable philanthropy” model, a model made up of the joint efforts of an enterprise, government and university.
“With this success, we can replicate this experience and use it on other cities for different implementations. For example, we can ask the disadvantaged students at Kun Shan University to install the LED lightbulbs. With this plan, we can conserve energy and show our care for the students,” said Sophie, speaking of a future plan in excitement.
Sophie has also called on other enterprises to join in her campaign for a “sustainable philanthropy.” After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan, Sophie has had a new epiphany: “during the pandemic, you realize that the whole world is connected. So, we not only need to protect ourselves but also mother earth, for every small power can unite to become one great power.”