A cerebral palsy family retreat camp led by a Jiangsu Christian volunteer service center was held in Yangzhou on October 18-20.
On the first day of the event, volunteers from the Reed’s Home which is a civil charity organization took more than forty patients with cerebral palsy and their families to a Yizheng hotel in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, to attend the opening ceremony.
In the three-day retreat camp, the invited families participated in a number of fun activities such as making handmade cloth stickers and little Red Army satchels. Although most of the disabled children could not do it, they were happy to watch the process of handiwork and took a group photo with the finished products in their hands.
In addition to the indoor handicraft activities, volunteers carried out outdoor games such as karaoke and self-exhibition, followed by looking at the photos taken of the previous activities and handmade works.
Subsequently, patients’ families presented their own talent shows, receiving certificates and prizes as a souvenir from volunteers.
After learning that two parents happened to have their birthdays this month, volunteers congratulated them with birthday cakes and longevity noodles.
According to the people running the event, the camp sponsored by the service center in Zhenjiang had been held for eight years, aiming to provide these disadvantaged people with a platform for better integration into society, equal communication, and interaction. At the same time, it helped these parents to have a rest and better connect with society.
"Through the activities, I hope to motivate more social and caring people to create a good atmosphere for the whole of society, by caring for and supporting the development of services for the disabled, so that the connection is smoother and the expression of love is more direct," said a responsible volunteer.
Reed's Home, founded in August 2014, aims at serving the disabled and elderly with the purpose of "helping the unfortunate people with everything possible". As an early and influential NGO in Zhenjiang, the home has carried out social service in the fields of helping the disabled and the elderly, narcotics control, community development, and environmental protection.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
