No sooner had she settled down than she started to sell curios, and inaugurated the Yikuang orphanage from the proceeds. Shih had discovered during the course of her work that disabled children tend to feel insecure in the company of normal children.
她在當時台灣尚未安定的社會裡，看到許多孤苦孩童沒有人教養，她害怕這些孩子良善的本質，會被不良的環境淹沒，就變賣家中的古董做為經費，創辦了義光育幼院，繼續為孤兒謀福利。