Efforts of social groups in communities showcased at event
People experience how some elders struggle with mobility.
Managing stray cats, revitalizing traditional crafts, jazzing up old neighborhoods with art -- the efforts of social organizations to improve local community life were showcased at an event yesterday in the Pudong New Area.
The event, co-hosted by the Shanghai Social Organization Service Center and the Pudong Civil Affairs Bureau, featured exhibitions, interactive games, and a sharing session by participating social organizations, which offered a glimpse into their work and encouraged more people to engage in community affairs as volunteers.
A star of Pudong's social organization Jumingxing, the city's first social organization that specializes in community planning, has fostered more than 1,000 "community planners" from local residents in the Dongming Road Subdistrict since October 2022.
These "community planners" have designed activities for the community, such as green fairs, garden parties, and art workshops, to improve the local environment, and bring residents closer together.
A former stray cat is the star of the Yangjing Community Foundation.
The Yangjing Community Foundation, the city's first community-launched foundation allowed to raise funds publicly, is well known for its "stray planet" project" which was launched in 2023 to manage stray cats in the Yangjing Subdistrict.
In a year, 56 stray cats have been sterilized and 12 stray cat shelters have been built. Twelve stray cats have also been adopted.
The Shantang Community Public Welfare Service Center in Tangzhen Town invites designers to partner with craftsman to revitalize old crafts in modern interpretations, and hires local village women to create jobs.
The event was held at the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone Social Innovation Demonstration Park, which opened in July 2023 at EKA·Tianwu, a creative park transformed from a former industrial heritage site in the Jinqiao area.
It is aimed to build a platform for social organizations in Pudong to deepen cooperation and produce innovative results.
By the end of March 2024, Pudong had reported 2,337 social organizations.
