In June 2013, Clover Life Care, which was founded in 2007 by students from the School of Foreign Language Studies, was honored by receiving the Ningbo Charity Award.

One Clover Life Care volunteer, Gong Senchao, commented as follows: “The first members of this volunteer team have already graduated from NIT, but their love and sense of responsibility is being passed on to newcomers. The total number of volunteers has increased to almost 300, and about 2,000 hospital patients in Ningbo have been served. Our main service is to provide companionship to patients, monitor their intravenous drips, and simply talk, play chess, or read them news stories. Sometimes we stage small performances, like singing, dancing, or putting on impromptu plays. During the summer vacation, our service times are longer and we provide a greater number of activities. We often prepare dinner for our patients and advise them about the benefits of a healthy diet. We listen to their worries and fears, and do what we can to relieve their pain and loneliness.”

Clover Life Care also organizes activities like picture shows, lectures, reports and discussions. Gong Senchao added, “Mr. Le, one of the doctors at Li Huili Hospital, helped us give a lecture to the patients. The attending doctors and nurses have also supported us a lot. The members of our team have regular skills training sessions and frequent discussions to share experiences and learn from each other. Winning the Ningbo Charity Award is very emotional for us and makes us proud to be volunteers. It is high praise and encouragement for us, and will certainly play an important role in the further development and consolidation of our team. Currently, we are focused on helping patients in hospitals. However, in the near future, we also plan to provide similar services to elderly people who reside in nursing homes.”