How Salt Collectiv Helps the International Community Give Back

Our mission is to make a lasting imprint through action on the lives of the vulnerable and marginalized in Taiwan by cultivating a community of volunteers dedicated to service. We primarily serve four “pillars” of the community:

• The Homeless: Providing meals and friendship.
• Orphans: Offering companionship, mentorship, and education.
• The Elderly: Combating isolation through intergenerational programs.
• The Incarcerated: Supporting foreign inmates through the “SALT Block” program.

International residents often face social isolation and a lack of community integration due to language barriers. Many want to contribute to Taiwanese society but don’t know where to start or how to navigate local NGOs. SALT provides a “landing pad”—an English-speaking environment where expats can immediately find a sense of purpose, build a professional network, and feel “at home” by serving others.

SALT Kitchen: Our weekly meal service for the homeless.

SALT-Ed: Service-learning collaborations specifically designed for international schools.

SALT Grain: Orphanage visitations delivering SEL curriculum and companionship.

SALT Block: A unique opportunity to support foreign inmates who are often forgotten by society.

Community Events: “Fun with a purpose” events like Taihu Trivia nights, F45 charity workouts, GivingTreeTW#, and our upcoming SALT Bash event – a fun, modern twist on the traditional “sit-down” gala.

From a volunteer side, we see SALT as a bridge or connector, bringing together locals and international residents who are wanting to give back in their community but don’t know how. SALT provides structures, information and accessibility in our programming to fill that need. There are so many people in Taiwan who share our same heart of wanting to make a lasting imprint on the marginalized, but don’t know how to get started or involved because of language barriers, time constraints or not knowing anyone in the community. We are building a community to help the community.

Through our keystone programs SALT Kitchen and SALT ‘n Found, we provide meals to the unhoused community. Food, sustenance, the thing that we all need to survive. But we don’t think about the meals we deliver as just something that sustains the body through a mechanical process. Instead, we think of our meals as much more than that. Food is community, food is connection, food is joy and an invitation to share something of yourself with someone irrespective of your differences and background. Food is good for the body, but a good meal shared with good people is uplifting for the soul.

Sure, we can talk about serving 22,000+ meals in the 7 years SALT has been running and our plans to serve over 5,000 this year alone. However, a mere numerical figure doesn’t really capture the full picture, that we are serving good quality meals, meals that we ourselves would serve to our own family. Because we want to treat people with dignity, respect and humanity; regardless of whether they are members of our own family, or sleeping on a cardboard box outside of a train station.

We have many regulars among the unhoused community when delivering meals. They have told us they look forward to our meals, that ours are the best, and that they appreciate what we do and that they are “so glad to have us in their lives”.

One other aspect of our impact that I think is also equally important is the impact that it has on volunteers, many of whom are participating in this work for the first time. We do a lot of work with international schools and it is always incredible to see the humanising effect that our events can have on students, breaking down stereotypes and stigma surrounding homelessness, marginalisation and food insecurity.

A student from Taipei American School recently shared after participating in a SALT Kitchen that “My biggest takeaway from this wonderful experience is that I have learned how to be more responsible, and not judge people. My mindset changed for homeless people by understanding different perspectives of people, and also feeling empathy for them. It can help me be more responsible for the things I am supposed to do, and care for others.”

We have transitioned from a grassroots group to a sophisticated organization with a structured leadership tier (Core and Core+). In 2026, we are scaling significantly:

• SALT Kitchen is moving from bi-weekly to weekly.
• SALT Seasoned is a new expansion into elderly care.
• SALT Grain is now open to the public via a tight screening process.
• SALT Block has restarted since COVID.

We’re currently designing and collaborating with other organizations to design a disaster relief mobilization program for our volunteers to support efforts in Hualien for example, when natural disasters occur on our island.

We have reached a milestone of over 35,000 lives touched and 22,000 meals served since our inception.

Volunteering: Join as a “SALT BAE” for general volunteering or apply for “Core+” leadership roles if you have specialized skills (Marketing, Finance, etc.).

Attending Programs: Buy tickets to the SALT Bash or participate in our #GivingTreeTW holiday drive.

Partnerships: Corporate organizations can sponsor events or organize “Day of Service” team-building activities through us.

Donations: 100% of donations go directly to our programs and operations. (Donate Here)

Our message is: “You are the seasoning the city needs.” Building a life in a new country can feel like being a spectator, but you truly belong when you start to serve. Don’t let the language barrier stop you from making an impact.

In the SALT community, your presence and your heart are the most important tools you have to make Taiwan feel like home—for yourself and for those we serve.