To express gratitude to all the charity organizations, the Taichung City Government designates December 12 as "Thanksgiving Day", whose first-term event was held on December 12, 2013. Many charity banks, food banks, warmhearted groups and caring individuals joined the ceremony in which they and Mayor Jason Hu plugged many small charity flags over the Taichung map and hanged on the Christmas tree many compliment slips with words of gratitude, symbolizing the spread of love and betterment of our society.

Social Affairs Bureau held the first-term Thanksgiving Day event at the Atrium of Huezhong Building of Taichung City Hall located on Taiwan Boulevard on Dec. 12. Hundreds of caring people and volunteers poured in the ceremony, smiling and sharing their stories of charity and love. The atmosphere at the venue was warm.

Mayor Hu said, "People in Taichung are the kindest in the world! We had only 51 rehabuses before the merger of county and city, far less than the minimum requirement of 200. After the merger, we complied a budget to purchase one-third of the deficiency and the remaining 100 rehabuses were donated by private organizations. Now, we have 228 rehabuses to provide the disabled with more mobility. Many people have written me to express thank for allowing them to move around easily.”

“When my wife Shao Xiao-Ling (邵曉鈴) was seriously injured in a car accident,” added Mayor Hu, “people everywhere in the city hanged red cloth banners or displayed marquee to cheer her up. Some people tied yellow ribbons to pray for her. Others went to the temples to pray for the gods’ blessing on her. I have always appreciated those kind-hearted people.”

“We have abundance of love in Taichung City ,”continued Mayor Hu, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank those charity organizations, whose kindness and efforts have helped a lot of people out and effectively protect those in need from coldness and hunger. I believe this kind-hearted force will grow stronger and bigger to take care of more and more people. In the future, I plan to hold large-scale charity garden parties at such places as the City Hall, Wenxin Forest Park, or Xinshe Sea of Flowers. I hopewe can spread out more and more love and care to every corner of the society.”

Mayor Hu, Social Affairs Bureau Director-general Wang Xiu-Yan (王秀燕), and City Councilor Liu Shi-Chou (劉士州) together with representatives from charity organizations plugged small charity flags on the map of Greater Taichung. Mayor Hu wrote "thank you for your beautiful and warm smile, which makes our society a better place!” on cards of gratitude and hanged it on the Christmas tree together with cards written by others. It is a symbol that everyone will continue to spread love out until it fills the entire community.

Many organizations have made donation. For example, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp (美商亞培公司) has donated 7,005 cans of infant formula since last year. As infant formula is indispensable to babies, Abbott has been offering great help to those disadvantaged parents to relieve their concern over the ever-rising price issues.

Social Affairs Bureau and the ROC Red Cross Taichung Branch have set up an alliance, to which many local charitable organizations and foundations are invited. It is a union to fill the gap of and strengthen the social welfare system. The union has pushed out a series of programs, including food banks, scholarship to the disadvantaged, love red envelopes, warm courier services, and service during the Chinese New Year holidays. The union vows to continue strengthening professionalism and solidarity among its alliance members to provide around-the-year social care service.