Luo Songsong

    songsongluo@126.com

    SIXTY-YEAR-OLD Liu Xianguo and his wife start work at 6 a.m. every weekend. The early start allows them to spend more time with elderly patients at the Shenzhen Social Welfare Center Rehabilitation Hospital, which they have visited for over six years.

    Motivation

    In late 2006, the Shenzhen Municipal Government chartered a plane especially for migrant workers so that they could visit their native towns, and spend the Spring Festival holiday with their families. Luckily, that flight gave the couple a chance to return to their home in Liuyang, Hunan Province. It was on that flight Liu and his wife met a group of volunteers in red jackets. The volunteers accompanied them during the journey and shared their supplies with the couple.

    “I was impressed by them, feeling Shenzhen’s warmth and generosity. From that moment, I was inspired to become a volunteer and give back to the city,” said Liu, who joined the Shenzhen Volunteer Association in June 2007.

    Currently, Liu and his wife are working and living in SEG Industrial Park. They are responsible for the cleaning and security of the eighth floor, earning a total monthly salary of a little less than 6,000 yuan (US$981). However, despite their modest income, Liu’s family, including his wife Xiao Chengxiang, two sons and a daughter-in-law are all registered volunteers in the city.

    “With the help of others, we found a job to feed the family, and got support during difficulties. Thus, we are very pleased to give people in need a favor,” said Xiao, who came to the Shenzhen in 1986 with her husband.

    Last winter, the couple received several bags of quilts and clothes after putting up notices in the building asking for donations to help the homeless in areas like Huaqiangbei.

    Xiao believes that Shenzhen is a city of love, where people naturally lend a hand when they know that someone needs help.

    Actions

    “When I can’t make it to visit the hospital, I feel like I’m forgetting to do something important. The people here have become a part of our lives,” Liu said.

    During the two-hour visit, he gives performances to entertain the old people and provides massages, while his wife helps them cut hair, gives manicures and assists with mealtime. Liu is popular with the patients and has earned the nickname of “Jigong,” a Chinese ancient mythical figure who is always ready to help others.

    Liu confesses to feeling like a fool or a maniac while performing, but he says it is worth it to see the smiling faces of the patients.

    In Liuyang, Liu’s 90-year-old mother is living by herself in the countryside, which he feels guilty about.

    “Now I am not able to attend to her at home, then I try my best to look after these old people, just like my own parents,” said Liu.

    Apart from caring for the elderly, Liu uses any time available to engage in different public welfare activities, which he attributes to being behind his good health.

    Recently, if needed, Liu would go to Huaxin Metro Station early in the mornings to help maintain order before going to work. Over the holidays he goes to Hongfa Temple to help give out food to visitors.

    This year, Liu was selected as one of 10 model residents in Futian District and awarded 10,000 yuan (US$1,635) by the district government for his extraordinary actions. Liu spent part of the award money on the residents of the nursing home in his hometown, buying them a 39-inch television and necessities like fruit, teapots and clothes. He used the rest of the money to repair the local bridges and roads with other villagers.

    Promotion

    Apart from the material stuff he has donated, in order to help more people, Liu shares his experience and knowledge of volunteering in Shenzhen with volunteers in his hometown.

    After working as a volunteer for several years, Liu had gained insight of the management, training and special care needed to make a good volunteer network. Liu had always wanted to promote the relatively mature system of volunteering in Shenzhen to his hometown, and get people there volunteering.

    “There were many people scattered around the city of Liuyang who were keen on charity work, but there wasn’t any official organization to connect and lead them to help others effectively at that time,” said Liu.

    In 2009, he heard of an educational worker in Liuyang called Pan Yong, who was active on public welfare. Liu got in touch with Pan and sent him documents to introduce the team of volunteers in Shenzhen, and share ideas on volunteering concepts and practices.

    The communication between both sides sped up the establishment of Liuyang Volunteer Association in April 2009, which now has over 1,000 volunteers engaged in community service.

    To improve the capacity of the newly founded organization, Liu organized four groups of volunteers from Liuyang to visit the Shenzhen Volunteer Association and professional nursing homes in Shenzhen.

    Expectation

    Liu said that he would leave Shenzhen in the future, but he would never stop serving his community by helping others because it was a life long dedication that he could never give up.

    “In rural areas, a large number of people are in lack of proper care and attention, especially old people, who have no child to look after them or are neglected by the community, which I worry about a lot,” said Liu.

    He added that he intended to share his experience and skills with as many people as possible, promoting the spirit of volunteering through training and activities to different groups, like students. Liu hopes to inspire others to make a difference.

    “Students who are at home over summer vacations with nothing important to do should volunteer for at least 10 hours, and help other people. It could change their lives,” said Liu.

    “I was impressed by them, feeling Shenzhen’s warmth and generosity. From that moment, I was inspired to become a volunteer and give back to the city.”

    — Liu Xianguo, 60,

    a volunteer in Shenzhen