Sun Haizhen, a retired vocal teacher, likes singing and dancing. She organized a small leisure square dance team with several people at the very start, and then she developed it into a community arts troupe including a dozen of teams such as a wind band, a female vocal team, and a patriotic song chorus. The troupe owned more than 200 members, not only achieving some renown in Shunde, but also having been invited to multiple media performances.

 

As the troupe’s fame becoming more far-reaching, the project manager of Shunde Country Garden Services expressed the desire to organize a resident-centered ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services Volunteer Service Vanguard’ in cooperation with Sun. Naturally, Sun Haizhen became the general captain of the volunteer service vanguard. Within several months, the vanguard has developed into a volunteer organization owning 78 volunteers and 6 branches under its management. And their behaviors that they served, gave back to, and devoted themselves to communities have become charming stories in the community.

 

In 2022, in order to strengthen the profound integration between Party building and property services, Country Garden Services forged the innovative patriotic property service brand ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’. In June of this year, the Party Branch of Shunde Country Garden Services Property Company called for Party members and enthusiastic masses in the community to build a ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer service vanguard, which has made the community-based elderly care a business full of love and warmth, meeting old people’s increasing spiritual and cultural demands, assisting in culture-oriented elderly care, and making efforts to ensure old people’s access to accomplishment, joy, and learning.

It was unbelievable for the efforts required from scratch. Preparing for courses, applying for class sites, and making plans at the start of every month as well as a summary at the end of each month, these events made Li Ying felt like she had regained surging morale and energy she once had.

In the Easy Class guided by Li Ying, the elderly learned singing and dancing together with congenial fellows, as well as some folk art such as waist drum, erhu, and Beijing opera, which truly achieved old people’s access to learning and joy with the enjoyment of a ‘colorful life’. In addition, the Easy Class also pursued the era’s development. To fulfill the demands for improving old people’s life quality, it specially set up ‘popular’ courses such as smartphone operation teaching and psychology courses, helping the elderly obtain daily convenience while experiencing trendy things at the same time.

“I have to transfer buses four times every day, taking 2-hour ride for attending activities in the community”. Aunt Huang, 68 years old, even if she moved to Nansha, Guang zhou, she specifically came to participate in activities. She said she experienced a meaningful and joyful life here in her later life.

Arts troupe charity performance

After the visit, Xu Lina conveyed the situation to property company and the ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer service vanguard, attracting a wide spread attention. Soon, a public welfare team was set up, where Xu Lina became the vice-captain and cared for the elderly with diseases in the community through her professional skills.

Carried out on-the-spot checks to understand patients’ medical history, Xu formulated a set of health management plans suitable for patients’ physical condition. With Xu Lina’s efforts such as establishing health records, recruiting enthusiastic professionals in the community, and building a medical team, ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer service vanguard established a set of perfect prevention and treatment systems for chronic diseases, truly making the elderly in the community get professional assistance on prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Free medical consultations for the seniors conducted by Xu Lina (the first one from the right) with proficient medical experience

Having known this situation, Mai Zi, who was responsible for the branch of public welfare team, united other branches to visit lady Yu regularly and concerned her family difficulties. Mai Zi said: “There is no one absent in the big family of the community.” Considering lady Yu’s special situation, Mai Zi especially organized ‘One person, one stage’ programs for the couple and directly performed in their house, which let those who stayed at home for a long time show rare smiles.

“Much to my surprise, the property staff, the community, and neighbors haven’t forgotten us all the time!” said 78-year-old lady Yu closely held Mai Zi’s hands with gratitude after a charity performance.

If a seed sprouted, there was not a long way to forge a forest. From the example of lady Yu, Mai Zi and her branch of public welfare team recognized that there were still many elderly people and their families who could not go out often at home for some reasons in the community. Therefrom, Mai Zi started to spread the ‘One person, one stage’ mode to the whole community, adjusting performance styles according to old people’s preferences and adding more favorable programs such as traditional operas, pingshu, and nostalgic songs. Many versatile residences also positively joined the branch of public welfare team, which gained development and expansion. Up to now, Mai Zi and her branch of public welfare team have performed more than one hundred times in total for home-based old people in the form of “One person, one stage”, activating their spiritual and cultural life and bringing them tremendous warmth.

Visit to the elderly by Mai Zi (the first one from the left)

“If a household has problems such as aging wires and clogged sewer, I can be on standby at any time just after a call.” As a home appliance repairman with over ten-year experience, 60-year-old Qi Junhua positively served as the leader of security check team. A motorbike, a tool kit, and security check insight honed over years made property owners have a great sense of safety and trust towards Qi.

“Mr. Qi is so proficient in work, most commendably, he always only charged material costs after working for a long time and even paid by himself when encountering old people with some difficulties. During his ten years of services in the community, he sacrificed a lot of his own money.” Qi Junhua’s selfless devotion deserved heartfelt respect from the old and young.

“I have lived in the community for 20 years, so I own special affection here. In my opinion, serving community residents means devoting to serve my own family. For me, the security check is more than work but also represents my intention that I hope to devote myself to all the people in the community!” When asked Qi Junhua his reasons for joining the ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer vanguard, he expressed simple but affectionate words.

Repairment of home appliance by Mr. Qi (in the middle)

Currently, the vanguard organizes residences in the community to provide considerate services such as free medical consultation, free hairdressing and maintenance, and repair of simple furniture. For empty nesters and living-alone elderly, the ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer service vanguard also offers home visits and health care services. Furthermore, by promoting diverse forms of loving and caring elderly examples, the vanguard brings more people to care for the elderly, practicing the service tenet of loving and caring the elderly into effect.

“We volunteers all adhere to the original intention of property owners to help each other, and many enthusiastic owners wish to have a platform in the service of the people as well,” said the general captain Sun Haizhen, “now the property company has established the platform and we can also make contributions to the society after our retirement. By advocating ‘younger elderly’ serve ‘elder elderly’, we can lead a group of retired owners to help other owners, which makes us feel fulfilled and accomplished.”

Participation in community-based anti-epidemic activity by the retired teacher Sun Haizhen (the second one from the left)

‘Patriotic Country Garden Services - Shunde Country Garden Volunteer Service Plan’ has awarded

the key cultivation project of 2022 ‘Flourishing Seed Scheme’

It was the best reward and recognition of long-term efforts made by ‘Patriotic Country Garden Services’ volunteer service vanguard members including Sun Haizhen, Li Ying, Xu Lina, Mai Zi, and Qi Junhua. It would also encourage Country Garden Services to keep the ‘property company + elderly care’ service innovation, building a demonstration of community-based elderly care and making the elderly enjoy a joyful life in their later years, so as to achieve their access to elderly care, medical service, accomplishment, learning, and joy.