The second phase of Project Care, a campaign designed to
encourage Shenzhen residents to help the needy, was launched
Monday.
A total of 225 activities have been planned for the second
phase, including helping 39 more orphans with disabilities,
enhancing programs for HIV/AIDS prevention and patients, building
more than 2,000 apartments for low-income families, and a donation
of 2.3 million yuan (US$276,000) for the city's underprivileged by
a company called Foxconn.
"During last year's Project Care, millions of people in this
city helped other people. A huge wave of love was raised in our
society," Wang Jingsheng, head of Shenzhen's publicity department,
said at a ceremony Sunday to open the second phase of the project.
He also asked Shenzhen people to "embrace every day with love,
touch everyone with heart."
Shenzhen first started Project Care in December 2003.
More than 500 activities throughout Shenzhen were held during
the first phase of the project. People with Loving Hearts were
elected and widely reported, more than 1,000 volunteers gathered to
donate money, hotlines of the city's departmental heads were
opened, 20 poverty-stricken families were recommended and given
aid, and more than 160,000 yuan was donated for children suffering
from Thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder.
As part of Project Care, the Shenzhen Daily last year
also held a number of activities targeting expatriates to help them
feel at home in Shenzhen. The paper opened a hotline to receive
inquiries and complaints and helped relay the complaints to related
agencies for solutions. The paper has also held two free concerts
for expatriates.
Shenzhen-based American teacher Scott Elkins and his wife have
been involved in the project by giving free English classes to
children in their neighborhood once a week.
"We like to do it to give back to the community," Elkins
said.
"Such a project is very important to help the needy. We should
also encourage the needy to tell us their needs so that we can
better deliver," he said.
Many expats in the city have been helping needy people. Members
of the Shekou Women's International Club regularly visit the
Shenzhen Orphanage, teaching the older children English and helping
take care of the younger ones.
Shekou Sports and Social Club has been helping organize the
annual National Day Street Party to raise funds from foreigners and
companies in Shekou for needy Chinese people and institutions. In
the past five years, it raised about 450,000 yuan for different
charities.
"It's a great idea to try things like that as there are always
people in need," said American Fred Narcross, one of the club
committee members.
"It takes time, money and the will to do it, but we will
continue with the work," he said.
(Shenzhen Daily January 11, 2005)