Shanghai offers free services to residents to mark International Volunteer Day

Shanghai will mark the International Volunteer Day today with free services such as haircuts, legal and medical consultation, and repair of umbrellas and home appliances.   

In Zhongshan Park, volunteers will offer more than 50 free services to residents this morning, while more than 60 free services will be available in Luxun Park this afternoon.

In Pudong, 44 volunteer service fairs will cover densely populated areas such as Lujiazui and Huamu. In addition to free services, there will be charity fairs and fun activities for families.

This morning, free medical consultation will be organized at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital and Longhua Hospital, and experts from the Eye and ENT Hospital will give a free lecture to teachers and parents of deaf children.

In recent years, business start-ups have been taking on volunteer work, with the Expert Volunteer Group for Business Start-ups, initiated by the government, leading such efforts.

In Changning District, a group of expert volunteers has gathered for start-ups as 40 to 50 lawyers, business incubator experts, start-up trainers and entrepreneurs will give talks, hold forums and offer consultation to about 1,300 people, according to the district government.

On Thursday afternoon, the group will hold an event in Donghua University to help student entrepreneurs to network with businesspeople and investors.

In Yangpu District, experts will lead residents in a visit to a public training base for start-ups at 200 Guoding Road E, and organize a start-up salon there tomorrow afternoon.

For elderly residents, volunteers will teach them to use smartphones for activities such as shopping online and checking in to hospitals online.

Shanghai has about 3.5 million registered volunteers as of the end of last month, according to the city’s Civilization Office, which works to promote social morality.