Meihu community's elderly volunteer team makes local traditional festive pastries for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. [Photo/WeChat account: wxbhfb]

Meihu community, which like Shuixiuxincun has a population of more than 10,000 residents, also has a silver-haired volunteer team.

Among these volunteers is Wang Yinghua, 72, who found a pastry making team with her fellow retirees. The team would make pastries using materials provided by the community before distributing them to the community during Chinese festivals.

This team also delivers food to the elderly as part of the "Lunchbox of Love" project.

Wang said that she is always happy to see the elderly receive their hot meals. "The meals are warm, so are our hearts," she said.

The Meihu community currently has 22 volunteer teams of more than 1,800 people, nearly half of whom are elderly residents.

In the Xuelang sub-district, a volunteer team of 400 elderly people has set up several culture and sporting groups to encourage residents to participate in activities set in parks, plazas and reading rooms.

Gao Fei, an official from Binhu, said the local government has been exploring the provision of more supporting policies for elderly volunteers. "They will also be in need of service in the coming years," he said. According to Gao, pilot mutual assistance programs have already kicked off in some communities.

This year, Wang Yinghua received 348 points for her 348 hours of volunteering services. She recently exchanged the points for two weeks of musical courses for her granddaughter.

The points can also be redeemed for daily necessities such as rice, cooking oil and laundry detergent as well as various services like physical examination.

"When I need someone to take care of me, I'm sure there will be volunteers to help me," said Wang Meijuan.