Even though the place where I lived was only separated by a flyover, the appointment with Huang Shan (pseudonym) still failed to make the trip. Her child is a "Tang Bao" (i.e., a child with "Down syndrome"), a first-degree intellectual disability. Whether it's taking children to special schools, doing rehabilitation training, participating in various community activities, or working or working overtime, Huang Shan's time is always full every weekday or weekend.
On March 31, we made a WeChat voice call while the children went to bed, and in only 20 minutes of communication, I felt Huang Shan's helplessness about life and the hope of being slowly healed by the volunteers of Coco Salon.
"It was a light that shone into my life," she said. ”
Start with "Sharing Food".
At 6 o'clock in the evening, in Jinghua New Village, Longhua Street, Longhua District, migrant workers from Longhua Station of Metro Line 4 poured into shops and restaurants, or returned to rental houses.
Coco Salon Party and Mass Service V Station.
Located in Building 31, West District of Jinghua New Village, opposite the Jinglong Community Workstation, the Cocoa Salon Party and Mass Service V Station will welcome many familiar parents at this time every Tuesday and Thursday. Autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, rare diseases...... Like Huang Shan, their children are some special children in Longhua District who are unable to take care of themselves and need lifelong care from their families.
Recently, Oasis Food Society, the first food bank in China, adhering to the purpose of reducing food waste, will take the initiative to connect the vegetables and fruits that have been replaced and removed from the shelves of Sam's Store in Longhua Yifang Tiandi and not sold in time to the Cocoa Salon Volunteer Association, so that the surplus food can exert its residual heat and convey warmth to those in need.
On March 26, at 12 noon, I arrived at the Coco Salon early, which happened to be a Tuesday, and it was said that there would be a batch of fruits and vegetables to be distributed that day. "We are still waiting for the notice, if it is confirmed that there are supplies, the supermarket will fill in the donation information through the Oasis Sheng Food Club mini program and notify us of the pick-up time, and we will arrange to pick up the goods as soon as possible. Sister Yu, the initiator of the Coco Salon Volunteer Association, told reporters. Sister Yu's full name is Kong Xiangyu, and she is the eldest sister I have known since I came to work in Shenzhen, and "Keke" is her screen name.
For eight consecutive years, more than 100,000 pieces of clothing have been given away by the "Little Clothes Big Love" love wall.
A wall of love that has been insisted on for more than eight years, with only one canopy, two clothes poles, and a dressing mirror, has accepted and sent out more than 100,000 pieces of love clothes, and anyone can hang up their own clothes, and those in need can take them away at any time; "Let Love Go Home" rescues people who live in no fixed place, adhering to the rescue concept of "looking for fate, letting love go home, not abandoning, not giving up", assisting the government and aid stations at all levels to carry out street assistance, and scenes of tearful family reunions are staged here...... Over the past ten years, under the leadership of Sister Yu, Coco Salon has cultivated a number of recognizable neighborly services, charity brands such as "Little Clothes, Big Love", "Yuxiang Love", "Let Love Go Home" and "Love Never Closes", as well as various volunteer service activities such as free tea, free clinics and scissors.
As a running reporter who has followed Longhua News interviews for many years, I know a lot about Sister Yu's public welfare stories. While waiting for the "notice", I was curious about the non-profit organization of Oasis Sheng Food Society, and I called Wang Mingjie, the project manager of the headquarters of Oasis Sheng Food Society in Shanghai. In the past few years, Wang Mingjie has maintained close contact with Sister Yu, as long as there is an intention to donate from a nearby supermarket or company, he will notify Sister Yu as soon as possible. "Food waste is the second largest source of carbon emissions globally, and about one-third of the world's food is lost or wasted each year. In order to save these 'discarded and reported losses' food, we have cooperated with large supermarkets and food trading companies to connect all the materials that are about to be removed from the shelves to the surrounding communities or non-profit organizations. They take over the distribution and reduce food waste. Wang Mingjie on the other end of the phone spoke quickly, but his expression was very clear, "The vegetables and fruits of Sam Longhua that I have received recently are a relatively stable supply, and I hope to help people in need in Longhua, Shenzhen." ”
Although it was born from the concept of reducing food waste and low-carbon environmental protection, it is also consistent with the volunteer service spirit of "Aftertaste and Love" that Cocoa Salon has adhered to for many years. According to Sister Yu, the name of the "Yu Xiang Love" project comes from the spirit of Shenzhen's volunteer service, "giving roses, hands have Yu Xiang", these foods are fresh food donated by caring people in the society and are still in the shelf life, with fragrance, conveying a love of the community, so it is named "Yu Xiang Love".
The first experience of "high quality" life
As soon as 6 p.m. arrived, the distribution of fruits and vegetables began on time.
"3 passion fruits, 2 shakya fruits, 2 Belgian pears, 1 bag of organic finger sucking carrots, passion fruit can relieve cough and phlegm, can be flushed with lemon to drink, Shanghai green is very crisp and tender when fried directly...... "The volunteers distributed the bags to the parents who came to collect the fruits and vegetables, while popularizing the names of fruits and some simple ways to make vegetables, of course, many of these knowledge were also inquired by Sam's staff or found on the Internet during the transportation. "We can live a 'high-quality' life!" "There are a lot of fruits that I haven't even seen before." Many mothers at the scene sighed. Yes, for them, the food comes from a membership-only supermarket that they don't normally expect, and every serving of fruit and vegetables is still fresh.
Sister Yu (left) distributes food to families with special needs children.
Coco Salon has a "special group of vegetables and fruits", the group is all parents of these special families, for the treatment of their children, their lives are generally poor, as long as there is material distribution, Sister Yu will release solitaire news in the group. With Sister Yu's consent, I was "specially approved" to join the group to learn more about the story of "Yu Xiang Spreading Love".
"Today, my mother brought back a bag of fruit from the cocoa salon, and one of them had a light green color, which my mother told me was called Sakya fruit. I checked the information on the Internet, and the fruit is also called Annona squamosa. It is shaped like a lychee, hence the name Annona apple, and it is one of the fruits of the tropics...... Peel off the skin and take a bite, it's juicy and full of sweet flavor. I love to eat. Chen Chen (not his real name) is an 11-year-old child with autism who is currently studying in a regular public school in Longhua. The first time he ate the Sakya fruit, he took the initiative to write a diary, and also recorded a short video of him squeezing juice with the fruit he received, although the handwriting is not neat, and he stumbles when he speaks in the video, but for more special families in the group, a child like Chenchen is already considered an excellent student. More children can't write or express themselves, so they can only use their dancing movements or impatient expressions to convey their love for society.
Feedback comes more from parents. Every time I brought back the food, the messages in the "Fruit and Vegetable Group" rang non-stop, expressing gratitude or showing the dishes made from the vegetables I received, which was very lively.
"Porter of Love"
"Green leafy vegetables can't be pressed, bananas should be put on top ......" There are a lot of loving vegetables and fruits, sometimes there are sixty or seventy boxes, and the means of transportation all rely on a jeep of the association's volunteers, sorting, transporting, and distributing, each link is not easy, and requires a certain amount of physical strength and skill. The volunteers of the Coco Salon are "porters of love" and enjoy it.
After several times of transportation, volunteer Mr. Hu has become a "veteran" of storage. Mr. Hu's full name is Hu Lizhi, who is responsible for the daily work of volunteering at the Cocoa Salon and was a yoga teacher. Her army-green jeep is a means of transportation from Huizhou to Shenzhen every day, and it is also a "special car" for collecting fruits and vegetables. Because it is a non-deep license plate, in order to avoid the traffic restriction time, he goes out at 6 o'clock in the morning and arrives home after 8:30 in the evening, and Mr. Hu spends more than 14 hours a day on public welfare. In addition to daily affairs, she is also responsible for the rescue of the surrounding people who have no fixed residence, helping them contact the relevant departments to apply for ID cards, find their families, and every Thursday night, she and other volunteers of the association will also take to the streets to deliver clothes and food to the surrounding people who live in a fixed place, bringing them warmth. There is no salary, not for income, Mr. Hu said: "It is the influence of Sister Yu that allows me to find more meaning in life, and because of the support of my family, I can have time to realize my pursuit and value." ”
Kang Xixi is a civilized practice instructor in Longhua District and a senior volunteer of the Cocoa Salon, he has many WeChat groups and activities, but as long as he sees the need for "labor" in the Cocoa Salon volunteer group, he always arrives as soon as possible by riding an electric car. If there is any surplus of fruits and vegetables, the cocoa salon will also distribute them to the surrounding sanitation workers, the elderly and urban village residents, and for those special families who are unable to leave the home, volunteers will also pack fruits and vegetables and deliver them to everyone who really needs them.
Like Mr. Hu and Kang Xixi, there are more than 100 volunteers who are active in the Cocoa Salon Volunteer Association all year round, most of whom have worked and served in the Longhua area for many years, among which there are more than 30 five-star volunteers in Shenzhen. These senior volunteers have become the strongest connection between the resources of various projects of Cocoa Salon.
At first, it was because after the ceremony of a wedding company, there were still many beautiful flowers facing the fate of being discarded, a volunteer of the association happened to be familiar with the company, after matchmaking, the wedding company decided to give all the flowers that were not needed to the cocoa salon, and the association sold them through the charity sale of Love Gathering Day, and all the funds were used for volunteer service activities. The high-quality and inexpensive flowers were warmly welcomed by the residents, and the "Fragrance and Love" love action began.
In 2019, there was an Ivan bakery in Minzhi Street that did not sell overnight bread, and although the shelf life of bread was generally three days, the owner adhered to the concept of only selling freshly made bread on the same day, hoping to let customers eat bread with the best tasting period, so the unsold bread of the day was no longer used for sales the next day. The leftover bread is actually still good, but what should be done? The owner consulted with the volunteers and decided to provide the leftover bread to those in need, so that the bread could have a "residual flavor". With a hint of excitement, the volunteer immediately contacted Sister Yu, "It's just right, we can provide a loving breakfast for the sanitation workers." "It was a hit and the sanitation workers' breakfast problem was solved. In this way, "Aftertaste and Love" continues to the food, so that there is zero waste of food, and the aftertaste and love are continued in the community.
With the first one, there is a second one, and another bakery in Longhua Street also came over and joined in this relay of love.
From bread, to zongzi, to moon cakes, many resources have been found along this lingering fragrance. In 2020, just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, how can the mooncakes that are still within the shelf life be delivered to those in need? Sister Yu led the volunteers to connect with resources as soon as possible, started the "big delivery" of materials, and distributed more than 500 boxes of mooncakes to sanitation workers, families of special children, migrant workers and the elderly and children in urban villages, as well as takeaway brothers and volunteers who carry out volunteer services during the morning and evening rush hours...... The joy of the festival continues in the transmission of this love.
It is public welfare, but also mutual assistance
In fact, the story of "Fragrance and Love" is not only a community practice of zero food waste, but also a place where special people, sanitation workers, and lonely elderly people share and warm each other.
Ajuan's (pseudonym) baby is 7 years old this year, and she can't take care of herself, so she can only take care of it all the time. On the afternoon of March 26, she rode an electric scooter from Dalang Street, a few kilometers away, to pick up her children at the Cocoa Salon to pick up fruits and vegetables. The interview with her was very short, and when I looked at the recorder after the interview, it was only 1 minute and 27 seconds. In the meantime, Xiaobao, who was wearing a pink skirt and two pigtails, was particularly excited and couldn't help jumping up, Ajuan said, this state is not very often. But what impressed me very much was that she said: "Here, no one will look at you differently, and there are no worries and burdens, everyone can share experiences with each other, and you can carry big bags and small bags, and every time you come, it is like going back to your parents' home." After saying that, his eyes moistened.
Before leaving, under the guidance of Ajuan, Xiaobao quieted down, said "goodbye" to me softly, and "included" a flying kiss. It was also at this time that I understood what Huang Shan said, "Coco Salon is a light shining into her life." ”
When she was depressed, sick, and even wanted to give up, it was the volunteers from here and the optimistic and strong parents of special families who gave her the courage to persevere. On the phone call that night, I told Huang Shan that she could contact me at any time if necessary, but she politely refused, "Life is my own, my children are also my own, it doesn't matter, I can do it myself." This refusal is because she doesn't want to cause trouble to others, but also because of the strength of a mother.
Compared with Huang Shan, Yangyang's mother is much more cheerful. Around 2015, she lived in Jinghua New Village, where the Coco Salon is located, and belonged to one of the first special families that Sister Yu followed. She is very grateful for the help that Cocoa Salon has helped them over the years, and she shared in the "Fruit and Vegetable Group": "Thank you to non-profit organizations and caring people such as Cocoa Salon and Oasis Food Club for always paying attention to us, and I am full of happiness. ”
Recently, Yangyang's mother began to do a handmade live broadcast on Taobao, in a rental house in an urban village that is not spacious, she set up a small live broadcast base for herself, the anchor light was bought from Xianyu, she rode a bicycle to get it, it cost a total of 20 yuan, and the display method was taught by a live broadcast public welfare teacher, which can make the whole picture look neater and more advanced, and the live broadcast skills are also learned from other people's live broadcast rooms. "But at present, the live broadcast has not been realized, and it has not brought stable income to the family. Yangyang's mother told me with a smile that she hoped that the live broadcast would last for a certain period of time, and the platform could pay her a salary.
There is also a 365-day "Caring for Sanitation Workers" that does not close 365 days a year, a "one old and one young" convenience and free clinic activity for eight years, and a monthly "Micro Love Action" to care for the empty nest elderly living alone...... In the name of volunteering, Coco Salon has become a "spiritual home" and "healing place" for more and more people in need of care.
Let the "fragrance of love" bloom with new brilliance
In fact, since 2016, the Coco Salon Volunteer Association has been "cared for" by different caring people in the name of "lingering fragrance and love", and has persisted in this warmth and love for eight years. In 2019 alone, the "Yuxiang Love" sanitation workers' love breakfast public welfare activity lasted for ten months, with a total of more than 200 sessions, allowing about 20 sanitation workers in Jinglong District to enjoy a free love breakfast.
"It's very rewarding to make the surplus food count, and Coco Salon is able to get it to those who really need it. Talking about the original intention of participating in the "Yu Xiang Love", Mr. Zhang of Shenzhen Senwanxi Trading Co., Ltd. said that in the past few years, as long as there are surplus materials, she will contact the cocoa salon as soon as possible.
Sister Yu told me that every year the Cocoa Salon Volunteer Association has many times "Yu Xiang Love" love material delivery, more than 10 years of public welfare road, they have already gathered a lot of caring entrepreneurs, such as Shenzhen Hu Lixin Trading Company Song and Shenzhen Zhengfengyuan Trading Company Ye Zong, etc., now, Oasis Sheng Food Society once again let the "Yu Xiang Love" bloom new brilliance, she also hopes that more caring people can join, become the next "Yu Xiang Love" activity donors, and they are also happy to be "love porters." ”。
Source | Crystal APP
Reporter: Wu Ying
Editor: Yan Jianwei