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Helping expats settle, survive and thrive
By Tan Weiyun |
June 9, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Community Center Shanghai, based in Pudong, helps expats adjust to Shanghai and make the most of their experience. After expats settle in, it also provides volunteer opportunities for helping others. Tan Weiyun reports.
More than 300,000 expatriates are living in Shanghai today and 120,000 of them are living in the Pudong New Area.
When in Shanghai, do as Shanghaineses do. To get into the community and adapt to the city's dynamic lifestyle as quickly as possible is a priority for most new arrivals.
Founded 12 years ago by expat housewives, the Community Center Shanghai based in Pudong's Jinqiao area helps newcomers to adjust and settle in, and enhances family and community life for expats.
"You didn't have as many Western things a decade ago as you have now. That's how it was started," says Patricia A Dunn, a board member of the CCS.
The non-profit organization provides all kinds of assistance, as well as useful and enriching classes in Mandarin, cooking, Chinese history and Chinese painting. It also offers first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses for Chinese ayis and drivers.
"Firstly, we want to open a window for expats to China," Dunn says. "The goal is to aid them to assimilate to the city and bridge the cultural gaps by offering the classes, which are quite popular."
The group is offering more classes and activities for children after school, such as summer camp, creative arts, writing and English language for expats coming from European and Asian countries.
The center regularly gives practical and educational tours around the city, essential orientations called "Shanghai One Two Three" as well as professional counseling and volunteer opportunities.
"Expats joke that the first thing when you come to Shanghai is opening the door and put down your key and the second thing is going to 'Shanghai One Two Three'," Dunn says.
The program helps expats navigate the city's medical environment, understand the cultural shocks, find daily essentials and manage workplace challenges and household staff.
It holds parenting forums where parents get together and discuss their problems in the community.
"We want to know what concerns you have. Let us hear from you and we'll work to see how we can address them," Dunn says.
In addition to all the exciting and positive aspects of living and working in Shanghai, there are also issues that can be overwhelming. CCS Counseling Service, with 14 licensed counselors, supports individuals and families in need.
Counselors help expats handle cultural shocks, heightened anxiety and depression, children's problems, parenting issues, marriage relations (including pre-marital counseling) and addictions.
In 2011, CCS held 427 classes with around 3,000 attendees, 46 tours, 1,827 counseling sessions and four major events that attracted more than 2,400 people.
"We don't have membership. Anyone is welcome to call and visit us," Dunn says. In 2007, CCS opened a second center in Puxi's Hongqiao area and a branch office in Minhang District.
CCS provides volunteer opportunities. "Giving Tree" and "River of Hearts" are two of the biggest charity projects.
"Giving Tree" assists children in need, mostly migrants' children in the Shanghai suburbs and other parts of the country. Among other things, it provides gift bags filled with age and gender-appropriate toys, clothes and school supplies during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.
The program works with the Shanghai Charity Foundation, China Education Foundation and local governments. Around 70 international companies participate and make donations.
"And there are new companies coming to join us, looking for the opportunity of giving," Stella Si, executive director of CCS, says.
This year the "Giving Tree" will focus on 15 schools in Minhang, 30 schools in Pudong as well as border areas with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
More than 50 schools have been recommended and "Giving Tree" staff are visiting each to identify the neediest schools, Si Says. A list of particularly needy children is developed for donations and "adoptions."
A donor can prepare a bag of gifts for an "adopted" child, depending on the child's needs and wishes. It might be a pair of ballet shoes, a box of crayons or a new schoolbag.
Started in 2003, "Giving Tree" has helped thousands of children. Through 2008, it had provided gifts to more than 10,000 needy students in the Shanghai area. Last year it gave 14,350 bags to students in Shanghai and Zhejiang, Anhui, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces.
River of Hearts, established in 2003, allows people to donate both new and used apparel and accessories to designated drop-off locations. Three times a year, ROH gathers all donations and organizes large "sorting parties" hosted by international schools, alternating between Puxi and Pudong. Then the donations are organized, bagged and loaded for transport to both rural suburbs and distant rural areas.
Last year, the three sorting parties attracted 700 volunteers who shipped more than 1,500 boxes of clothing and toys.
Visit Community Center Shanghai's official website www.communitycenter.cn for more information about charity projects, classes and activities.
More than 300,000 expatriates are living in Shanghai today and 120,000 of them are living in the Pudong New Area.
When in Shanghai, do as Shanghaineses do. To get into the community and adapt to the city's dynamic lifestyle as quickly as possible is a priority for most new arrivals.
Founded 12 years ago by expat housewives, the Community Center Shanghai based in Pudong's Jinqiao area helps newcomers to adjust and settle in, and enhances family and community life for expats.
"You didn't have as many Western things a decade ago as you have now. That's how it was started," says Patricia A Dunn, a board member of the CCS.
The non-profit organization provides all kinds of assistance, as well as useful and enriching classes in Mandarin, cooking, Chinese history and Chinese painting. It also offers first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses for Chinese ayis and drivers.
"Firstly, we want to open a window for expats to China," Dunn says. "The goal is to aid them to assimilate to the city and bridge the cultural gaps by offering the classes, which are quite popular."
The group is offering more classes and activities for children after school, such as summer camp, creative arts, writing and English language for expats coming from European and Asian countries.
The center regularly gives practical and educational tours around the city, essential orientations called "Shanghai One Two Three" as well as professional counseling and volunteer opportunities.
"Expats joke that the first thing when you come to Shanghai is opening the door and put down your key and the second thing is going to 'Shanghai One Two Three'," Dunn says.
The program helps expats navigate the city's medical environment, understand the cultural shocks, find daily essentials and manage workplace challenges and household staff.
It holds parenting forums where parents get together and discuss their problems in the community.
"We want to know what concerns you have. Let us hear from you and we'll work to see how we can address them," Dunn says.
In addition to all the exciting and positive aspects of living and working in Shanghai, there are also issues that can be overwhelming. CCS Counseling Service, with 14 licensed counselors, supports individuals and families in need.
Counselors help expats handle cultural shocks, heightened anxiety and depression, children's problems, parenting issues, marriage relations (including pre-marital counseling) and addictions.
In 2011, CCS held 427 classes with around 3,000 attendees, 46 tours, 1,827 counseling sessions and four major events that attracted more than 2,400 people.
"We don't have membership. Anyone is welcome to call and visit us," Dunn says. In 2007, CCS opened a second center in Puxi's Hongqiao area and a branch office in Minhang District.
CCS provides volunteer opportunities. "Giving Tree" and "River of Hearts" are two of the biggest charity projects.
"Giving Tree" assists children in need, mostly migrants' children in the Shanghai suburbs and other parts of the country. Among other things, it provides gift bags filled with age and gender-appropriate toys, clothes and school supplies during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.
The program works with the Shanghai Charity Foundation, China Education Foundation and local governments. Around 70 international companies participate and make donations.
"And there are new companies coming to join us, looking for the opportunity of giving," Stella Si, executive director of CCS, says.
This year the "Giving Tree" will focus on 15 schools in Minhang, 30 schools in Pudong as well as border areas with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
More than 50 schools have been recommended and "Giving Tree" staff are visiting each to identify the neediest schools, Si Says. A list of particularly needy children is developed for donations and "adoptions."
A donor can prepare a bag of gifts for an "adopted" child, depending on the child's needs and wishes. It might be a pair of ballet shoes, a box of crayons or a new schoolbag.
Started in 2003, "Giving Tree" has helped thousands of children. Through 2008, it had provided gifts to more than 10,000 needy students in the Shanghai area. Last year it gave 14,350 bags to students in Shanghai and Zhejiang, Anhui, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces.
River of Hearts, established in 2003, allows people to donate both new and used apparel and accessories to designated drop-off locations. Three times a year, ROH gathers all donations and organizes large "sorting parties" hosted by international schools, alternating between Puxi and Pudong. Then the donations are organized, bagged and loaded for transport to both rural suburbs and distant rural areas.
Last year, the three sorting parties attracted 700 volunteers who shipped more than 1,500 boxes of clothing and toys.
Visit Community Center Shanghai's official website www.communitycenter.cn for more information about charity projects, classes and activities.
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