In Hualien County, there’s a dumpling business staffed entirely by people with spinal cord injuries. The employees have varying degrees of physical disability, and they’re given tasks tailored to what they can do. Even those with limited hand function have a role, like using a special method to peel eggs. This inclusive kitchen is not a charity: It refuses donations, and it focuses on instilling self-esteem and a sense of purpose in its workers. Our Sunday special report.

Chen Shou-shih churns eggs over high heat. Not a chef by trade, this one-time music producer entered the kitchen to help spinal injury survivors.

Today, all the culinary techniques he uses are self-taught. He also experiments with dumpling fillings.

Chen Shou-shih
Dumpling business owner
Today we’re making spicy mala dumplings. In our experiments, we found that if we use the same amount of sesame oil as we usually do, that would cover up the spiciness. So for our spicy mala dumplings, we’ve cut back on the sesame oil by quite a bit.

To make flavors that impress, Chen is always trying out new recipes.

Taste tests are a must, and all employees must agree on a flavor profile before production. This rigorous process ensures that each dumpling is a delight for customers.

She places filling onto a wrapper, before handing it to her husband to seal. For Tsai Mei-ya , wrapping dumplings was once a solo task, before she injured her left wrist. But now, the job takes two to complete. The rest of the dumpling production line is staffed entirely by people paralyzed from the waist down. All of them are seated in wheelchairs.

Tsai Sheng-tzung
Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital head of neurosurgery
If the injury is along the cervical spine, there can be a total loss of arm and leg function. If the thoracic spine is affected, arm function can remain intact, due to the injury’s location. So in the best case scenario, a patient with a spinal cord injury can use a wheelchair to get around. But most patients are bedridden.

In this kitchen, production is slower compared to other commercial operations. But Chen has created a workplace that values inclusivity over speed and output. The employees themselves decide how much they can do each day, based on their physical capabilities. Chen adjusts order volumes accordingly.

Chen Shou-shih
Dumpling business owner
Every spinal cord injury is unique, affecting different parts of the body, so not every task is suitable for everyone. I create roles to fit each person’s abilities.

Kuan Hsin-wei works skillfully at speed, and it’s hard to believe that he can’t control his fingers. Now in his mid-30s, Kuan was hit by a drunk driver at 17. He was left paralyzed from the neck down, and with weakened, deformed hands. Chen spent two months devising a suitable task for Kuan: peeling eggs.

Kuan Hsin-wei
Employee with spinal injury
There was a lot of failure at first. We couldn’t figure out how to do it, so we ruined so many eggs. We must have tried with 10,000, 20,000 eggs. Finally we discovered that the trick was to roll the egg, not peel it. My palms still work OK, so I could roll the egg to remove the shell.

Standing in a subzero freezer, Chen checks on dumplings made the day before, which will be shipped out today.

In 2013, Chen launched a fundraiser to subsidize electric wheelchairs for spinal injury survivors. He raised over NT$10 million dollars in a year. Due to the campaign’s success, he initiated another in 2015, to expand subsidies nationwide. Kuan’s first electric wheelchair was one of those he funded.

For spinal injury survivors, electric wheelchairs offer a way to get out and about. But Chen wanted to offer more, namely a sense of purpose.

Chen Shou-shih
Dumpling business owner
If you’re making handicrafts or other nonessentials, it’s impossible to become self-sufficient. So I decided to have survivors make frozen and refrigerated foods, because those are everyday goods people need.

The dumplings have gained fame through word of mouth. But the operation hasn’t been without setbacks. When it first began in 2020, it faced a Level 3 national alert triggered by COVID-19. It’s also seen the departure of key staff, a temporary shutdown, and 10 straight days without orders. On several occasions, Chen feared for the future of the business.

Chen Shou-shih
Dumpling business owner
If God’s Kitchenhand were a charity, it could lean on donations. And actually the staff wouldn’t need to come and work. I could just raise funds and distribute them every month.

An experienced fundraiser and marketing specialist, Chen could have navigated the pandemic by accepting donations. But he refused to do so, because the mission of the establishment was to ensure dignity and purpose for his staff.
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