Taiwanese Sheltered Workshop Sees Increased Small Orders After Presidential Office Cancels Mooncake Purchase

A political budget dispute has led to the cancellation of a significant Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake order, impacting numerous disability organizations in Taiwan. The Presidential Office's decision to cut or freeze budgets for state affairs expenses resulted in the cancellation of 15,000 boxes of mooncakes that were to be purchased from 37 sheltered workshops and disability groups.

One of the affected institutions is the Hsinchu Xiangyuan Memorial Nursing Home, which was expecting an order of over 300 boxes. While this cancellation represents a loss, the nursing home has experienced an encouraging surge in smaller, individual orders from the public in recent days. This response demonstrates a strong sense of public empathy and support for the individuals employed by these workshops.

Director Huang Hui-yu of the Xiangyuan Memorial Nursing Home stated that the mooncake sales are a crucial source of income for the institution's operations. The workshop utilizes pesticide-free eggs from its own farm and quality ingredients to produce mooncakes, including varieties like 'ruyi' egg yolk pastries and 'jinfeng' pineapple cakes. The nursing home had set a sales target of 6,000 boxes for this year's festival.

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Although the Presidential Office's order of more than 300 boxes was canceled due to the circumstances, we have continued to work hard on marketing. Unexpectedly, colleagues have reported that scattered small orders have quietly increased in recent days, making us deeply feel the love from the general public.

Despite the setback from the Presidential Office's canceled order, the nursing home is actively continuing its marketing efforts. Currently, they have secured approximately 3,000 orders, reaching about 50% of their goal. The Hsinchu County Government has also stepped in, purchasing 112 boxes of 'ruyi' egg yolk pastries from Xiangyuan and 76 boxes from the i-Kuan Tao Foundation's Hsinchu Bakery Workshop, which will be distributed to welfare institutions and long-term care facilities.

Xiangyuan is appealing for continued support from the public, businesses, and community groups, emphasizing that each purchase provides not only a gift but also hope and opportunities for the individuals with disabilities to learn and grow.

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We hope that friends and businesses in the community will strongly support us, becoming a force for the continuous learning and growth of people with disabilities. Giving a good gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival also means giving hope.