Volunteers celebrate Lei Feng Day, and exciting year ahead
Residents of Qingpu District vow to stick to the volunteer spirit.
Shanghai observed "Lei Feng Day" by showing goodwill and helping others with a variety of activities, remembering the soldier renowned for his generosity and altruistic deeds.
Lei, a soldier who died at the age of 21 in August 1962, was known for helping people in need. Chairman Mao Zedong exhorted the masses to "Learn from Comrade Lei Feng" on March 5, 1963. Since then, March 5 is celebrated as a special day for voluntary activities.
The city had more than 5.9 million volunteers registered by the end of last year, or one volunteer every five residents, according to the latest report on Shanghai's voluntary service.
And the rate of volunteer registration in the city reached more than 23 percent among local residents, increasing by 2 percentage points, from a year earlier.
A flash mob in Qingpu District raised the curtain on a series of activities to promote the spirit of Lei. One hundred volunteer service items of this year were released.
These cover a wide range of areas such as law consultation, charity bazaars, garbage sorting promotion, psychological consultation and medical diagnosis.
Volunteers in Zhujiajiao Town mark "Lei Feng Day."
Volunteers will also conduct culture and health lectures and DIY activities, teach seniors how to use smart phones and deliver performances at communities through the year.
The district has registered 230,200 volunteers so far, and 1,286 volunteer service groups.
They have conducted more than 19,500 volunteer service programs and made significant contributions in serving the China International Import Expo, COVID-19 prevention and control, rural revitalization, environmental protection and medical service, district authorities said.
A coffee cup holder with a pattern created by children with autism.
People with autism draw coffee cup holders, depicting how love from volunteers lights up their world.
On Friday, the city's spiritual civilization office invited children with autism to draw coffee cup holders, depicting how love from volunteers lights up their world to promote a volunteer culture and spirit.
In a round-table dialogue, volunteers from various circles shared their stories and discussed how volunteer service merges with haipai (Shanghai-style) culture and empowers the city's soft power.
This year's volunteer services will center on the development of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek and the Five New Cities, according to the city's spiritual civilization office.
