"Uncle, when you first invited us to a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, I was only 5 years old, and now I am 25 years old, I am happy to see you!" On the evening of January 27, in a hotel on Taiping Street in Wenling City, a group of volunteers wearing red vests and more than a dozen children with mobility disabilities were eating Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.
"Red vest" is another name for the volunteers of the Wenling Taiping Rapid Volunteer Team, who have been inviting children from welfare homes to Chinese New Year's Eve dinner for 20 years. Every year before the 20th day of the lunar month, the Rush Volunteer Team prepares a sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve dinner and invites the children of the welfare home to spend the festive season together.
Inviting the children of the welfare home to a New Year's Eve dinner is due to a promise made by the Rapid Volunteer Team 20 years ago. On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2005, the Wenling Taiping Rush Volunteer Team walked into the Wenling City Welfare Institute for the first time and brought gifts, pork and dumpling wrappers to the children to eat, which was also the first time that the Swift Volunteer Team invited the children to eat Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. So many uncles and aunts came to accompany them for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and the children were very excited, singing and dancing, and having a great time.
When the volunteer was about to leave, a small hand took the volunteer's hand and said timidly: "Uncle, can you come to have Chinese New Year's Eve dinner with us next year?" ”
Well, we will accompany you to the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner every year after year, and bring you a lot of gifts. "Volunteers take the children's little hands and promise.
A promise 20 years ago continued the 20-year relationship between the Rapid Volunteer Team and the children in the welfare home. In the past 20 years, in addition to keeping its promise and inviting children to Chinese New Year's Eve dinner every year, the Rapid Volunteer Team has often taken children out to play, and their hearty laughter has been left on Shitang Beach, movie theaters, and major parks.
As early as more than a month ago, the Rush Volunteer Team had begun to plan this Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, not only arranging wonderful programs, but also carefully arranging the venue. Before the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner began, volunteers also took the children to Jinping Park to play and watch movies. At 5:30 p.m., the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner was lively under the passionate performance of the Wing Chun Lion Dance Team, and the children enjoyed a sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve dinner accompanied by volunteer uncles and aunts, while enjoying the wonderful program and dancing happily.
In the past 20 years, the Rapid Volunteer Team has witnessed the growth and family of the children, and regarded them as children in this big family. "Lianlian, this is your New Year's gift. Despite being in her 30s, the volunteers still prepared a cute doll for Lian Lian when preparing a New Year's gift. The 26-year-old Tao Tao used to be a very rebellious child, and the Rapid Volunteer Team poured more love into him. Tao Tao, who has now graduated from college, has a good job, and at the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner that night, Tao Tao was very excited, not only took the initiative to take care of his younger siblings, but also sang on stage. He said: "It is because of the support, teaching and love of so many uncles and aunts that I am where I am today, and I will definitely be grateful to help take care of my younger siblings in the future." ”
At 8 p.m., after the song "Great Reunion", volunteers and children met for the 2025 Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. "We will continue to stick to this commitment, so that the children can feel more care from the social family. Wang Xiangyun, head of the Wenling Taiping Fire Volunteer Team, said.
*: Wangchao client.