On the first day of the new year, they knocked on the door of an elderly man living alone.

On the first day of 2024, Granny Li, who lives in the Chengdu Institute of Biology community, was cleaning when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. When I opened the door, I saw a familiar face – a volunteer from the community came to \”visit\” again.

Grandma Li has lived alone for many years and is now over 70 years old. Now, volunteers have become frequent visitors to her home.

\”Auntie, Happy New Year! How are you doing lately? Are you cooking lunch?\” Li Xue, a volunteer from Jinyang Community in Jinjiang District, greeted. For groups such as those living alone and disabled elderly people, community volunteers will \”frequently visit\” several times a month to bring daily necessities, check line safety, etc., and provide them with warmth.

What’s special is that since the Biomedical Research Institute community is a work unit dormitory, many of the volunteers are “old comrades” and “old colleagues” of these elderly people.

This volunteer team

The average age is 62 years old

Perhaps because he is also an old man, 71-year-old volunteer Xie Qilin knows that \”the old people are the least willing to cause trouble.\” other people\”. Therefore, to take good care of the elderly living alone in the community, we must visit frequently to find problems.

Electrical hazards, gas safety, barrier-free facilities, etc. are the focus of every visit. When it comes to changing faucets, Xie Qilin, a worker by training, can do it in no time.

Xie Qilin’s team has more than ten volunteers, with an average age of 62. They want to continue to use their remaining talents after retirement. The elderly people in the community like to go out for walks and sit together to form a dragon gate formation. \”They often don\’t take the initiative to mention their physical problems and only show them when chatting.\” Xie Qilin said, therefore, they, the silver-haired volunteers, will pay special attention to the chats of the elderly living alone. Anyone who has a headache or a fever, or who slipped and fell last night, will know \”accidentally\”.

Psychological support for the elderly living alone is also a focus. After being lonely for a long time, some elderly people close themselves off even more and are only willing to talk to acquaintances. Volunteers will sit with them to bask in the sun, recall past events, chat, and open their hearts.

When elderly people living alone need to replace gas or go to the hospital in an emergency, they will immediately think of volunteers because they feel close to them.

Once, Xie Qilin saw a mother-in-law who was blind due to glaucoma going upstairs, and hurried up to help her. Before he had taken two steps, his mother-in-law suddenly asked, \”Are you Xiao Xie?\” At these moments, he would be a little touched.

My mother is keen on volunteering

My 10-year-old daughter is also motivated

More and more young people are joining the ranks of serving the elderly living alone. .

Volunteer Chen Yanhui and other volunteers visited 11 elderly households in Jinyang Community on New Year\’s Day and brought condolences to the elderly over 95 years old.

\”There are many retired workers in our community. They are all people who have made contributions to the country. I admire them very much.\” Chen Yanhui said that she feels very happy to be able to do something for the elderly. Be practical. When she arrives at the elderly people\’s homes, they will treat her like a relative, asking her to drink boiled water and eat fruits to make her feel warm.Yes, the old people also gave themselves a lot of strength.

What makes Chen Yanhui even more happy is that she has inspired more people around her to participate in charity. When she wears a red vest to participate in activities, she often meets neighbors and acquaintances who ask, \”Are you still lacking people here?\” They will also sign up to participate if they have the opportunity.

My daughter, who was only 10 years old at the time, also took the initiative to visit her \”grandparents who live alone\” together, and she has been doing so for a year now. \”My daughter is very passionate every time because she feels that she has done a good thing.\” Chen Yanhui said that her daughter has also become an activist in environmental protection, cultural and sports and other public welfare activities organized by the community. (Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News reporter Ye Yan and Zhang Zhiyi)