Military veteran and physical abuse survivor dedicates himself to charity

2023-09-06

Today we meet a military veteran who has dedicated himself to charity since his retirement. Former defense ministry spokesperson David Lo grew up in an abusive family, and was sent to a children’s home before being adopted. After a successful military career, he turned to charity endeavors in his golden years. Now leading the Andrew Charity Association, he’s committed to supporting other families in need. And he is sharing stories of the inspiration he finds among the people he works with.

Former Ministry of National Defense spokesperson David Lo talks about a charity food box project aimed at diverse recipients. Now the CEO of Andrew Charity Association, Lo has dedicated himself to charity since he retired from the military in 2016.

David Lo
Andrew Charity Association
There have been so many benefactors and better people who have helped me in my life.

Lo has not had an easy life. He was just a child when his father was injured in the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis and forced to retire from the military, falling into alcoholism and becoming violent toward his family. The young Lo and his little brother were sent to a children’s home and later adopted. It’s that childhood adversity which now inspires Lo’s charity work.

Lo has been researching the lives of people in Taiwan’s lower social classes, and he says he’s seen firsthand how many people have it even harder than he did as a child. But he’s moved by witnessing so many people in difficult financial situations give everything to help others.

David Lo
Andrew Charity Association
I was visiting an older lady who we were helping, and as I was leaving, she pulled a crumpled NT$200 note out of her pocket and made me take it. I sent her a receipt for her donation, and told her not to hesitate to contact us anytime she needed our care or help.

Lo says that while a few people in desperate circumstances get onto a newspaper page and attract much attention and support, there are many more who don’t receive the same attention. That’s what inspires him to keep going, with the wish not to leave anybody out.

前國防部發言人助弱勢羅紹和投身公益逾7年

2023-09-06

國防部前發言人羅紹和退伍後投身公益逾7年，發起各種活動募款、收集物資，發送給弱勢家庭。他自稱投身公益很大的動力，是他的童年也不好過，但這幾年來看盡社會百態，也讓他看到很多人即便自身不寬裕，仍願意靠自己的力量助人，讓他感動不已。

介紹慈善機構針對不同人群推出的食物箱，他是國防部前發言人，現任安得烈慈善基金會執行長羅紹和，2016年退伍當天，就投身公益。

[[安得烈慈善機構執行長羅紹和]]
“我覺得生命中的恩人跟貴人非常的多。”

其實羅紹和一路走來並不容易，在他兒時，父親因823炮戰受傷被迫退伍，染上酒癮還會家暴，羅紹和跟弟弟也因此被送到孤兒院，被人領養長大，成長背景成為他投身公益的關鍵。

這些年來，羅紹和看遍社會底層百態，很多人比當年的他，更需要幫助；也有的人即便本身條件並不寬裕，也想靠自己的力量助人，讓他很感動。

[[安得烈慈善機構執行長羅紹和]]
“曾經受到一個我幫助的阿婆，我去探望她，看完她以後，她從口袋裡面拿出皺巴巴的200塊錢，她要我帶回來。我也把收據寄給她，告訴她，將來有什麼需要我們關懷幫助的地方，請她不要客氣。”

羅紹和說，除了處境悲苦、因為上新聞獲得大眾關注、救濟的人，社會上還有很多沒被注意到的弱勢族群，需要幫助。關懷弱勢之路，他還會繼續走下去。