The Garden of Mercy Foundation：An Introduction

History

A century ago, missionaries came to Taiwan to spread the gospel. Driven by the love of Jesus Christ, they have always shown concern for and reached out to disadvantaged groups. In recent years, brothers and sisters in Christ felt a burden to continue sharing God’s love in Taiwan. With the encouragement of the Garden of Hope Foundation, a group of Christian doctors, social workers, pastors, and other believers, worked hand in hand to establish The Garden of Mercy Foundation to assist a group of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals—HIV patients.

Between 1986, when the Department of Health reported the first HIV case in Taiwan, and March 2007, Taiwan has seen over 13,581 HIV patients. Cases have continued to increase rapidly over the years and it is estimated that Taiwan currently has 60 to 70 thousand individuals infected with HIV. HIV/AIDS patients continue to receive unfair treatment in the areas of medicine and religion as well as from their families and society as a whole. As a result, not only are they forced to face the threat of death, they do so while being looked upon by society with disdain and prejudice.

An idea initiated by the love of a foreign missionary, coupled with great vision, brought about the establishment of the Garden of Mercy Foundation, the first nationwide organization dedicated to the care of terminal AIDS patients. Over the past eight years, we have focused on bringing AIDS education to schools, student clubs, and indigenous peoples residing in remote areas as well as on taking in and caring for terminal AIDS patients, befriending the friendless and providing them with a stable home and humanitarian care.

The Garden of Mercy Foundation was officially founded in September 1999 and its residential care facility for HIV patients (the Home of Mercy) was established in 2000 to offer, in the spirit of Jesus Christ, homeless terminal AIDS patients a secluded and quiet place to live in, to provide care for body, mind, and soul, to help patients obtain safe medical care, spiritual solace, and support from family, friends, and society as a whole.

Mission

1. Educate society and promote humanitarian care.

2. AIDS related. research and seek for prevention and cure.

3. Provide education and care for body, mind, and soul.

Services

Direct Services

1. Residential Care: The Home of Mercy was established to provide HIV patients and infants suspected of being infected with HIV with physical, mental, and spiritual care.
2. Hospital Visits: Regular visits to hospitals and patients?homes.
3. Consultation and Care: Providing consultation and counseling to home-based patients.
4. Telephone Consultation: Medical consultation and psychological counseling.
5. Occupational Counseling: Providing patients with occupational counseling.
6. Legal Advice: Providing judicial consultation to ensure their rights.
7. Complimentary Anonymous HIV Screening: Providing safe checkups to encourage HIV testing. For reservations, please call 2331-1580.
8. Jail Consultation: Regular visits to such places as Taipei city/county jails, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, Taipei Detention Centers to provide consultation services to HIV positive prisoners and ex-prisoners with drug addictions.
9. Counseling Center: Providing HIV patients with professional counseling.

Indirect Services

1. AIDS Education: Giving AIDS-prevention speeches in communities, churches, and social groups by invitation.
2. Volunteer Training: Recruiting volunteers to promote AIDS prevention.
3. Research Publication: Researching and publishing academic publications on AIDS prevention.

Other Services

        In addition to residential care, hospital visits, and consultation, the Garden of Mercy Foundation also gives AIDS prevention speeches. If you have any questions regarding AIDS-related issues, please contact us at 02-2331-1580.