A LARGE number of senior residents from other parts of the country relocate to Shenzhen to be with their grown-up children after retirement.

They don’t have many friends in the city and most of the time their children are busy at work. So they get together to keep each other company.

In Jinglong Community of Longhua District, a group of retired women have met together for more than 10 years to sing, dance, do volunteer work and take care of each other.

According to many women, they are like a family, always hanging out together and lending a hand to whomever needs help.

Earlier this year, Cao Yufeng, missed a few dance training sessions. Out of concern, the other members called Cao’s family and learned that Cao had been hospitalized for a surgery to remove a tumor from her ovary.

“Even though her family had hired a care worker for her, Cao was still nervous about the surgery, so we stayed with her at the hospital,” said a member surnamed Mo. They formed a special caring group and took turns looking after Cao at the hospital for more than 10 days.

Jia Xiaofeng was one of the women who went to the hospital for Cao. Jia said that she was nervous while waiting outside of the operating room with Cao’s family, as if she were waiting for her own sister.

Mo said the aid group would expand their services to reach out to lonely seniors in the community. (Zhang Qian)