In volunteer work, there’s just no end in sight
Shenzhen is known for its huge number of volunteers who devote much of their precious time to helping people in need.
Jiang Hai, founder of a government-recognized emergencyresponse team, has been an active member of numerous volunteer campaigns for years.
He joined the Shenzhen Volunteer Association 14 years ago in Huaqiangbei. He was working in the fashion industry at the time and happened to come across a recruitment post for volunteers. Since then, he has volunteered for various events, including the annual China High-Tech Fair and the cultural industries fair.
Jiang’s efforts made him gradually stand out from the crowd. In early 2009, he received a special mission from the municipal committee of the Communist Youth League and the Shenzhen Volunteer Association and was asked to establish and lead a rescue team under the association.
Over the next nine years, Jiang expanded the team from 300 members to more than 3,000. The team had served the public on more than 10,000 occasions and has racked up 120,000 service hours.
The team’s key mission is to safeguard major events in Shenzhen. It also runs a U-station in the Huaqiangbei area that looks out for pedestrians crossing the street and helps those who need directions.
A legacy of the Shenzhen Summer Universiade in 2011, U-stations are scattered across the city to provide help and simple first aid to residents.
Jiang has also organized a squad to deal with emergency cases. The squad receives regular training from Shenzhen’s armed police officers so as to gain professional knowledge in handling emergency situations.
With experience and resources accumulated over the past years, he decided to establish his own organization to provide professional rescue services. In 2012, the Shenzhen Zhihuihai Rescue Service Center was set up, and moved into an incubator for social organizations the same year.
The center founded by Jiang won approval from the Shenzhen municipal civil affairs bureau to become a recognized social organization the following year.
“We wanted to do something meaningful for society when we first decided to set up the team,” he said. What’s most satisfying about doing volunteer work in Shenzhen is that even after so many years, the number of people taking part in it never stops increasing, he said.
The rescue center has been actively providing nationwide quick-response services since its inception. Team members will reach out to people who are victims of natural disasters and need help in restoring their livelihoods, for instance, in the aftermath of the destructive typhoon disaster on Hainan island, as well as the earthquake in Ludian, Yunnan province, in 2014.
Recalling his experiences in Ludian, Jiang said the rescue missions had faced tremendous difficulties and dangers.
“When we heard of the earthquake, we were still trying to help those hit by the mega typhoon on Hainan. So I rushed some of our team members to the disaster area overnight,” he said.
It turned out they were the first professional rescue team to arrive at Huodehong Township, which experienced the most powerful tremors. Local residents, authorities and armed police officers praised Jiang and his team’s efforts.
Besides rescue operations, the center organizes safety training courses each month at schools, corporations and communities.
“There’s only one starting point for doing volunteer work and no ending point,” Jiang said.
He said he will continue to offer his helping hand in the years to come.