40 Campaign Banners for Neighborhood Chief! Ku Po-yuan Runs for Dingcheng Li in Sanmin District — 'Starting Anew from the Grassroots'

Ku Po-yuan, chairman of the Kaohsiung Sanmin Baoyuan Dingcheng Association for Caring for the Underprivileged, has announced his candidacy in the upcoming neighborhood chief election for Dingcheng Li in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City. Having built his career from the ground up and dedicated over 20 years to public welfare, Ku believes the time is now right to begin serving the community from the most grassroots level — as a neighborhood chief. To demonstrate his determination, he has erected nearly 40 campaign banners in a scale comparable to a councilor’s campaign, sparking local attention.

Singing 6 campaign songs, returning to university in September — becoming the strongest ally for residents

Ku Po-yuan shared that after military service, he steadily advanced from the bottom of the workforce, running restaurants and working in the cleaning industry before expanding into construction-related fields and founding Baoyuan House Repair and Construction Company. As his business stabilized, he remained committed to the principle of 'giving back to society what was gained from society,' dedicating years to charitable work, supporting underprivileged families and elderly living alone. Whenever emergencies arose in the community, he was often seen offering assistance.

Through years of individual efforts in public welfare, Ku also recognized a deeper issue behind grassroots goodwill. He pointed out that while many people have the passion to help, the lack of institutional coordination and role division often limits kindness to one-time aid. Therefore, at the end of last year, he established the 'Kaohsiung Sanmin Baoyuan Dingcheng Association for Caring for the Underprivileged,' aiming to transform his previously individual-driven charitable actions into an organized platform. Through volunteer coordination, systematic management, and resource integration, he seeks to unite more people and build a long-term, reliable support network for the community.

Currently, the association receives almost no external funding and is primarily supported by the profits from his construction company. Nevertheless, Ku stated that as long as he has the ability, he will continue to invest. Last year’s founding ceremony attracted a large crowd of local residents, with attendees filling the venue to capacity. This overwhelming turnout further convinced him that the community needs not just one-time relief, but long-term, stable, and institutionalized services.

In this neighborhood chief campaign, Ku Po-yuan is adopting a promotional approach different from traditional grassroots elections. In addition to nearly 40 campaign banners, he specially commissioned music teachers to create six campaign songs, which he personally performs and recorded in a professional studio with accompanying music videos. The main song, 'Doing My Best,' documents his journey from humble beginnings to building a successful career, symbolizing his determination to tackle residents’ problems with the same relentless drive.

Ku said that in his youth, he was passionate and always stood up for justice. As his career flourished, he gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities between business and society, leading him to continuously engage in charitable work over the years. Now, by running for neighborhood chief, he hopes to bring his accumulated experience in public welfare and resource integration into grassroots governance.

He noted that Dingcheng Li is currently transitioning from a traditional settlement into a modern residential area, with changing demographics and living needs. If given the opportunity to serve, he hopes to go beyond supporting the vulnerable and further connect community resources — from environmental improvements and elderly care to underprivileged assistance and community development — to build a warmer, more resilient local service network.

Beyond business and public welfare, Ku emphasizes that 'learning must never stop.' He believes that grassroots service requires more than just enthusiasm — it demands professional problem-solving skills, especially when residents face legal, rights-related, or administrative issues. Therefore, he has decisively decided to return to school. This September, he will enroll in the Department of Politics and Law at National Kaohsiung University, aiming to deepen his knowledge of law and public affairs so that when residents need help, he can not only 'want to help' but also 'be able to solve problems effectively.'

Ku Po-yuan stressed that no matter how many banners are hung or how loud the campaign songs play, the ultimate question is 'Can you truly serve the residents?' His run for Dingcheng Li neighborhood chief is driven by the desire to start from the grassroots, bringing years of public welfare experience, business resources, and continuous learning into the community — to become a frontline partner that residents can find and rely on when needed, and to build a warmer, safer living environment for Dingcheng Li.