News | Taiwan Blood Services Foundation ESG

       With nearly 30,000 employees, Taipower (Taiwan Power Company) shoulders responsibilities spanning from public livelihood and technology to national infrastructure. As one of the nation’s foremost state-owned enterprises, beyond focusing on its core professional mission, it is also duty-bound to care for employees’ physical and mental well-being and to uphold its social responsibilities. In this feature, we spoke with Director Zhang Han-xi of the Transmission & Transformation Engineering Office and several colleagues who participated in the recent blood donation drive, gaining firsthand insight into Taipower’s commitment to employee care and public welfare.

Starting from Caring for Employees, Extending Compassion to Society through Blood Donation
 
       As early as 1988 (Minguo Year 77), Taipower established the “Tongxin Garden” initiative, aiming to address employees’ work, life, and emotional concerns at the front lines. It provides psychological support and counseling services, akin to the “Teacher Chang” program of the era’s China Youth Corps. Their motto, “Caring for Life, Sharing Love,” begins with the individual and extends that spirit of compassion to society. In 1999 (Minguo Year 88), the Transmission & Transformation Engineering Office’s Tongxin Garden partnered with the Blood Donation Center to host its first blood drive.
 
       “We wanted an activity that could both unite our employees and make a positive social impact—and blood donation perfectly achieves those goals,” said Director Zhang Han-xi (hereafter “Director Zhang”). “Ever since childhood, we’ve heard that ‘one bag of donated blood can save a life.’ Although we never know exactly who benefits from our donation, it always feels like a deeply meaningful contribution.”
 
       Today, the office has seven “gardeners” (employee coordinators) who together organize at least two blood drives annually. Whenever possible, Director Zhang encourages holding an extra session to engage more young colleagues, ensuring everyone can fulfill their annual donation quota.


The atmosphere at the Taipower Transmission & Transformation Office’s blood drive was full of energy and laughter. To welcome children from the office’s childcare center, the popular mascot “Dianbao” joined the festivities. Director Zhang Han-xi (back row, third from left) urged colleagues to participate enthusiastically, while Tongxin Garden head Liu Yan-hong (back row, second from right) was on a mission to inspire ever-more acts of kindness.


Colleagues from the Transmission & Transformation Office unite in donation, hoping to bring warmth to society during this chilly season.

       Director Zhang Han-xi’s own blood-donation journey began in 1992 (Minguo Year 81) and has now spanned 33 years. His first donation, encouraged by his wife, holds special significance. “I’m actually quite afraid of needles—especially the finger prick,” he confessed. Even today, he must overcome that split-second of anxiety before the prick, “but once that moment passes, the sense of relief and happiness from donating blood takes over. After conquering that first mental barrier, it becomes a habit.” Helping others fuels his ongoing commitment; whenever there’s a drive, he’s there without hesitation. “Some worry about whether donating blood is good for their health. At that point, I step forward to share my own experience and dispel their doubts,” he laughed. “I’ll keep donating until I reach the age limit!”


As a regular donor, Director Zhang Han-xi has given blood 67 times to date. (Photo courtesy of the Transmission & Transformation Engineering Office)

Leading by Example and Embracing Social Responsibility
 
       The office places great emphasis on promoting the blood drives, using internal web announcements, the liaison form management system, team-leader groups, posters, and PA announcements to reinforce awareness and reminders. Director Zhang leads by example—he is always the first to donate on event day, then uses the PA system to rally colleagues to join this meaningful activity. They’ve also arranged for the eco-friendly “Fubon Electric Bloodmobile” to conduct donations on-site.
 
       With green energy and carbon reduction being a global imperative, Taipower aims to set a benchmark. Using an electric donation vehicle avoids exhaust and noise, minimizing disruption to employees and young children at the onsite nursery, and aligns with both corporate image and social responsibility. Besides mascot “Dianbao” entertaining the children from the childcare center, teachers were gifted the Openbook Award–winning book A Little Grown-Up’s Lesson on Blood (2023) to help little ones understand the importance of blood and donation, so they can share what they’ve learned with their families after the event.


Guided by their teacher, children from the office’s childcare center listen to A Little Grown-Up’s Lesson on Blood, gaining a deeper understanding of blood and the importance of donation.

       For 26 years, the Transmission & Transformation Office has quietly dedicated itself to blood-donation公益, never faltering—even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Over the past two decades, donating blood has become second nature to everyone,” Director Zhang reflected. “When it’s time to donate, we look forward to it. Plus, Taipower’s COVID safety measures were even stricter than the norm, so people felt secure participating. At a time when medical resources were stretched thin, our colleagues were even more eager to contribute to society and get through the crisis together.”

Encouraging New Donors, Passing the Torch to Future Generations
 
       With an average employee age of 42, Taipower continually recruits new donors during each blood-drive event to instill good habits early. “We want to seize this advantage and encourage them, ensuring the tradition continues,” said Director Zhang. It’s common to spot many first-time donors at each event—colleague Lin Feng-yong is a prime example. After his first-ever donation with the office team, he’s made it a decade-long habit to donate regularly. “Although I’m afraid of needles, thinking that only healthy people can donate helps me overcome that fear. Helping others gives me joy,” he shared. Thanks to Director Zhang’s encouragement and the enthusiastic “gardeners” of Tongxin Garden, he finds his contributions deeply meaningful.
 
       Director Zhang hopes that through blood-donation公益, not only will those in need be helped, but deeper bonds of mutual support and understanding will form among employees, creating a warmer workplace atmosphere. Every drop of blood donated, he believes, accumulates into a powerful force!


Inspired and motivated by Director Zhang, Lin Feng-yong looks forward to helping others each time he donates.


Hsieh Min-chieh, on her second donation, had no prior concept of blood donation but was happy to help when invited by colleagues.


Whenever her health allows, Luo Shih-mei always shows up. Having accompanied her mother to donate as a child, she’s never felt unfamiliar with the process. Though she was once unable to donate due to weight restrictions, she now feels fortunate to be able to contribute.