The Bureau of Social Affairs of New Taipei City Government commissioned Eden Foundation to operate the Xinzhuang Happiness Disability Day Care Center, the Happiness Small-scale Sheltered Community Workshop and the Xinzhuang Touqianzhuang Disability Day Care Center. To improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and enhance their activity spaces, we joined hands with the Xinzhuang Presbyterian Church on the 13th of May to launch the “Stairwell Mural Project.” On the day of the event, more than 20 volunteers joined service users in creating art, transforming the daily physical activity pathways into an art corridor brimming with a sense of happiness. This initiative not only effectively boosts motivation to participate but also showcases the diverse value of services for persons with disabilities.
Ms. Mei-Chen Lee, Director of the Social Welfare Department, stated that Eden has long been deeply committed to services for persons with disabilities in New Taipei City. As family needs increase, the importance of day care and community support systems to families continues to grow. The Xinzhuang Happiness Building currently houses three service units, serving a total of approximately 60 persons with disabilities. Through stable day care and health promotion programs, these services not only assist maintain daily living skills and social participation but also allow caregivers to work with peace of mind during the daytime, providing them with much-needed respite.
To strengthen muscle endurance and cardiopulmonary function, Eden Social Welfare Foundation has been promoting stair-climbing exercises since 2023. Upholding the philosophy that "the environment is also part of the service", the foundation invited service users to personally engage in creative mural painting, transforming what was once a monotonous space into an encouraging exercise environment. This project specifically capitalized on the 150th anniversary of the Xinzhuang Presbyterian Church, adopting the theme "A New Beginning, Building Happiness". It incorporated inspirational quotes from the founder, Ms. Liu Xia (Xinglinzi), and featured positive imagery such as "Where Happiness Lies", "The Tree of Love," and "Seeds of Happiness" painted along the stairwells. This provides psychological support during exercise and helps cultivate spontaneous and consistent exercise habits.
On the day of the event, volunteers and educare givers provided one-on-one support to service users during the creative process, offering appropriate assistance based on each person’s abilities. Throughout the activity, volunteers took their time to interact with the service users—from assisting them hold a brush and choose colors to collaborating on the finer details of the artwork—gradually building a sense of cooperation and rapport. Finally, a group photo was taken to commemorate the event.
Eden Foundation stated that by combining environmental improvements with community participation, the event not only enhanced service users’ positive experiences in activity participation, interpersonal interaction, and self-identity but also extended the value of the service from the physical space to the family and society. As persons with disabilities achieve steady growth through these services, their families also gain a source of support, which further alleviates caregiving stress and improves their overall quality of life.
