Charity founder funds social work with stock market earnings

2022-11-01

Today we meet one of Hsinchu’s most inspiring philanthropists. At the age of just 32, Liu Chih-ping runs a social charity that helps those most in need. He earns the money for the “Sprouts of Love” association on the stock market. And he spends his free time doing all he can to help the most vulnerable people in society. We spoke to Liu to find out what motivates him.

Boxes of drinks and instant noodles are piled on the table. Liu Chih-ping is packing them up to distribute to people in need.

When the basics are taken care of, he puts on his counselor’s hat. Here he’s showing a homeless person how to bake a sweet potato using a thermometer. And that’s not all.

Three computer monitors show stock market websites. Liu is managing his investments. Each month he can make NT$1 million like this, and once earned NT$10 million in stocks in one year. But he puts 40% of that straight into charity causes, to take care of people in need. And he spends his time visiting rural areas with his wife to offer what help they can.

Liu Chih-ping
Sprouts of Love secretary general
Why am I committed to charity? Because when I was in the third grade, and when I started high school, some massive changes happened to my family. I started to come in contact with lots of social workers, and to spend time with counselors.

Liu’s father had to undergo dialysis when Liu was a child, and the family was hard up. But they got a lot of help from people in the community, and that’s when the first seeds of Liu’s future career were planted. Now 32, Liu originally studied engineering at college, before switching to social care. As for the stock market, he started getting into investing while still in high school. With all that stock market experience, and with a solid income from it, he could found the association.

Liu Chih-ping
Sprouts of Love secretary general
Actually, how much money I have is just a number going up and down for me. If I spend it on the charitable causes that I serve then the feeling in my heart is that it has enormous value. Because when I see the people I’m serving, I see that help is at their moment of desperation.

Liu says chasing wealth is no way to fulfillment. It’s only helping others that makes life joyful. With all his interests and talents, it’s being in service that never fails to inspire him.

32歲志工助弱勢股票年賺千萬"4成捐公益"

2022-11-01

新竹有一名社福志工劉志枰，靠股票一年了賺千萬，但他卻捐出四成獲利，成立基金會作公益。他與妻子兩人長期照顧弱勢團體，更輔導許多街友就業。32歲的劉志枰說，獲利多寡只是數字跳動，他最在乎的是要能幫助到需要的人。

桌上堆著一箱箱飲料、泡麵，社工劉志枰，忙著拆箱、分裝，發放給弱勢族群。

處理完物資，又化身為輔導員，拿出溫度計測量，親自教導街友如何烤地瓜。其實他還有另一個身分。

三台電腦同時打開股票網頁，劉志枰縱橫股海，靠著操盤月入百萬，一年曾獲利千萬，但他竟然把四成獲利投入公益，照顧弱勢團體，與妻子一起深入偏鄉關懷弱勢。

[[愛的萌芽協會理事長劉志枰]]
“我為什麼投身慈善？因為國三那時候升高中的時候，我家庭有發生一些巨變，那時候開始接觸到很多社會工作者，或是輔導員的一些陪伴。”

原來小時候父親洗腎，家境困難，受到外界許多幫助，因此在心中埋下從事社工的種子。今年32歲的劉志枰，原本大學就讀理工，研究所轉攻社工。高中開始對投資股票產生興趣，有豐富的投資經驗，有穩定收入後，也成立協會做公益。

[[愛的萌芽協會理事長劉志枰]]
“其實金錢的多寡，它對我來講就是一個數字的跳動而已，如果花在我所服務的社會公益扶助上，看到我們服務的個案，因為你這樣的幫助，對他是燃眉之急，我覺得自我心中的成就感價值非常大。”

劉志枰認為，人生成就不是追求存摺數字，而是能夠幫助更多的人，他生活領域轉換了好幾次，對社會貢獻的心則沒有改變。