Taiwan's social safety NET: clothing company holds annual charity event

台灣社會安全網：服裝公司舉辦年度慈善活動

Fashion retailer brings holiday cheer with shopping spree for underprivileged families


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — NET, a well-known local fashion retailer, held its annual charity event on Sunday (Jan. 8), distributing NT$16.8 million worth of gift vouchers enabling a private shopping spree for underprivileged families.

Select NET retail shops across Taiwan were closed to the public on Sunday to allow underprivileged people to try on and select clothing of their choosing. Every year, NET provides families in need with gift vouchers to select warm winter clothing and new outfits for the Lunar New Year.

UDN reported on several families who took part in the event. A 17-year-old high school student surnamed Chang (張) said his mother is outstanding and always looked after the three children as they wanted her to first choose some clothing of her liking.

Another shopper, a 13-year-old boy, accompanied by his grandmother, specially traveled to Huwei for the private shopping session. His grandmother said new clothes were a necessity as he has grown from 130 cm to 150 cm in the blink of an eye after entering junior high school.

Staff at Yunlin’s Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (CCF) said that Huang Wenzhen 黃文貞 the 84-year-old chairman of NET, is from Dongshi Township, Yunlin County. For the past 13 consecutive years, before the Lunar New Year, the store has been closed to the public to allow disadvantaged families to enter the venue to choose new clothes.

In the first decade of such philanthropy, the store gave away NT$10.5 million (US$350,000) to NT$16.8 million (US$550,000) due to the COVID pandemic over the past three years. The distribution has benefited 21 support centers operated by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families.

Liao Chih-wen, Director of Yunlin’s CCF center, said that NET hasn’t stopped caring for disadvantaged children throughout the COVID pandemic. The annual closing of NET stores is a day that many eagerly look forward to ahead of the Lunar New Year.