Recently, the Ningbo Municipal League and the Ningbo Volunteers Association jointly issued a statement recognizing the various types of volunteer work currently being conducted in Ningbo. Two organizations were given special recognition: the Zhejiang Youth Charitable Volunteers Association and the NIT Green Wind Environment Council. The joint statement also recognized Yuan Yanpeng, a teacher in NITs Management Department, as well as Cheng Biguan, Du Lusang, and several other NIT students for their significant contributions.
Mr. Yuan spoke with the NIT Post about the volunteer program called Daily Programs for Public Welfare (DPFPW), and offered some observations on recruiting: “The DPFPW program is a form of social welfare. It recruits people who are interesting in improving the lives of people in our community through volunteer work, and student associations such as Green Wind are a primary source of volunteers for this program.”
Cheng Biguan, who now serves as Chairman of the Youth Volunteers Association (YVA), loved volunteering even as a child. When in college, he organized fellow students to do community service work such as helping the disabled, supporting literacy education, assisting youth, promoting health care and environmental protection initiatives, and organizing related social events. Under his leadership, the YVA has launched several successful programs, including “Four OClock School,” “Walking Culture,” “HIH,” and “Approaching the Community.”
Zhang Jiexia is a member of the Green Wind Environment Council and a long-time volunteer for the Ningbo Volunteer Post. Her approach to community service, which combines her interests in urban management, environmental protection, and social work, has won much acclaim. Zhang noted, “Cancer patients often suffer from intense pain, and there is not much anyone can do to help them. But we can sit with them, and our presence and attention often provides some comfort.”
Du Lusang is a member of Ningbo Charity and is a volunteer in the Clover Life-Care Service Team at NIT. Her focus is on caring for cancer patients at Lee Wai Lee Hospital, where she has logged more than 200 hours of service. Du is emotional about her volunteer work: “Charity work is very moving and emotionally satisfying, but it can also be frustrating. Sometimes, we simply convey Internet greetings that loved ones send to the patients.”
From the accounts of these community volunteers, it is clear that they all share a deep concern for the public welfare, they are willing to dedicate much of their free time to this valuable work, and that these activities are a source of great personal satisfaction. Many types of volunteer work do not require a full-time commitment; each kind and selfless act, however small, improves our community and society, and makes everyones life more colorful.
