Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 4th: Lei Feng’s spirit shines with new light
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Lei Feng used his short and ordinary life to compose an eternal spiritual chapter.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important expositions on carrying forward Lei Feng’s spirit, pointing out that “the activities of learning from Lei Feng should be integrated into daily life and become regular, so that Lei Feng’s spirit can shine brighter in the new era.”
On the eve of the Lei Feng Memorial Day, reporters went to cities and villages to feel the light of Lei Feng's spirit in the new era from the stories of countless volunteers' selfless dedication.
"Accumulate small good deeds into great good deeds, and no good deeds can be great. This is in line with our party's 'serving the people' and 'being the people's servants'. We must see the wise and think of them all, and pass on Lei Feng's spirit from generation to generation." - Xi Jinping
In Shuangxin Street, Jinnan District, Tianjin City, Lu Yanyan has two identities: a member of the Jinxing Home Community Grid and a volunteer for the street’s “Alley Steward” volunteer service group.
Shuangxin Street is a large residential area. When it was first established in 2015, the sanitary environment was poor, there were many safety hazards, and there were many conflicts between the owners and the property owners.
The year after the street was established, Lu Yanyan became a community worker.
At that time, many buildings in the community were piled with debris, posing serious safety risks.
Lu Yanyan came to her door to persuade her, but was often turned away.
"Lei Feng said, 'I am the people's servant.' 'Service' should be reflected in the daily service to the people." Lu Yanyan discussed with her colleagues and decided to use volunteer service to open up the "heart wall" of the neighbors.
She and her colleagues visited households to inquire about their needs, understand the actual difficulties and demands of residents, and mediate neighborhood conflicts... More and more residents began to cooperate with their work, and some residents even took the initiative to join their team.
Volunteer service takes up a lot of Lu Yanyan's spare time, but she enjoys it.
"In the process of learning from Lei Feng, I realized the happiness of 'giving a rose to others and leaving a lingering fragrance in my hands'".
Lei Feng’s spirit brings together the power to do good.
In 2020, Shuangxin Subdistrict coordinated the volunteer service forces within its jurisdiction and established multiple volunteer service teams.
Wei Xiangmin, 53, is the leader of the "Alley Butler" volunteer service group.
Picking up garbage, giving voluntary haircuts to the elderly, helping disabled people living alone to buy and cook food, visiting residents' homes... they are doing one small thing after another seriously.
Wei Xiangmin said: "As long as it can make the community better, we will do it."
People "order", communities "distribute orders", and volunteers "take orders".
There are already 16 Lei Feng volunteer service teams in Shuangxin Street, with nearly 4,000 registered volunteers, and a total of more than 30,000 people served. The level of refinement and professionalism of community services continues to improve.
In the past, the streets in Shuangxin were dirty and messy, and the neighbors were not harmonious; now, they are orderly and the neighbors are harmonious.
Cheng Junmin, secretary of the street party working committee, said: "We will continue to learn from Lei Feng's voluntary service and be good servants of the people."
"We hope that volunteers, volunteer service organizations, and volunteer service workers will be based on the new era, show new achievements, carry forward the volunteer spirit of dedication, friendship, mutual assistance, and progress, and continue to write the story of Lei Feng in the new era with practical actions." - Xi Jinping
At Peking Union Medical College Hospital, there is a group of doctors who, while carefully treating patients, become volunteers, go into communities and grassroots to spread health knowledge, or provide medical protection at major events.
Fan Junping, deputy chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, is one of them.
In 2022, during the Beijing Winter Olympics, a chef came to a medical service point for treatment due to frequent symptoms of chest tightness. The person who received the treatment was Fan Junping, a Winter Olympics volunteer.
Through detailed questioning, he found that the patient had a long history of diabetes and smoking, edema of both lower limbs, and an electrocardiogram showed suspected old myocardial infarction.
"This may be a serious cardiovascular disease and needs to be transferred as soon as possible." Fan Junping made a quick judgment and the patient was transferred to the designated hospital as soon as possible.
Upon admission, it was found that the patient was at risk of sudden death, but due to timely treatment, the situation was saved.
As early as 2008, Fan Junping participated in volunteer service at the Beijing Olympics when he was still a medical student.
From that moment on, the seeds of volunteerism were planted in his heart.
More than 10 years have passed, and Fan Junping has grown into an experienced deputy chief physician in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, but the passion to "learn from Lei Feng" has always been burning in his heart.
Participated in free clinics and popular science work, and decided to sign up to go to the front line when the COVID-19 epidemic hit in 2020... "I hope to use my professional knowledge to illuminate the corners of more people's lives." Fan Junping said.
At Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Lei Feng’s spirit, represented by the spirit of volunteerism, not only affects batches of doctors, but also passes on to more people, and volunteer Xiao Yi is one of them.
Ten years ago, Xiaoyi was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which brought endless pain to her and her family.
After nearly 10 years of careful treatment by doctors at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, she finally returned to normal life.
"The doctors and nurses not only treated and cared for me carefully, but also helped me relieve my depression. Countless people also extended a helping hand to me and helped me through the most difficult time." Xiao Yi said.
In 2023, Xiao Yi, who is already a college student, applied to join the volunteer team of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
"I want to use my small power to spread Lei Feng's spirit, just like everyone who has helped me." Xiao Yi said.
The trickles gather into the sea.
In 2023 alone, 674 volunteers from Peking Union Medical College Hospital participated in volunteer services imitating Lei Feng, serving nearly 30,000 hours.
"Continuously develop and expand the Lei Feng volunteer service team in universities, let learning from Lei Feng become a common practice among the people, especially young people, let learning from Lei Feng activities be integrated into daily life and become regular, let Lei Feng spirit shine brighter in the new era, and contribute to the comprehensive construction of socialism Modernize the country and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation to gather strong strength." - Xi Jinping
"I walked into the mountains just to give you the opportunity to walk out of the mountains." In 2010, these words said by a college student volunteer in class were unforgettable for Pu Shuying.
Pu Shuying, 26, grew up in a mountain valley in Sanhui Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. Before graduating from junior high school, she rarely left the mountains and was full of yearning for the outside world.
"The words of the volunteer teacher lit up my heart and planted the seed of a volunteer in my heart." Pu Shuying said.
After being admitted to university in 2016, Pu Shuying began to participate in various volunteer service activities imitating Lei Feng at the school, transforming from a recipient to a volunteer.
Going to low-rent housing to provide loving tutoring through rain or shine; giving environmental education science classes to children; telling the story of Uncle Lei Feng to community children...Volunteer service activities inspired by Lei Feng almost fill up Pu Shuying's spare time.
In her senior year, as a member of the 22nd postgraduate teaching support group of Chongqing University, she went to Dahe Primary School, Sanhe Town, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing, and became the "Teacher Xiaopu" for 32 mountain village children.
After learning that all the children in the school had never learned English, Pu Shuying took the initiative to take up English classes for four classes in addition to her math teaching duties.
Pu Shuying said that Lei Feng once wrote in his diary: If you are a drop of water, have you nourished an inch of land?
If you are a ray of sunshine, have you illuminated a bit of darkness?
..."That college student sister back then was like Lei Feng, nourishing my heart and lighting the way forward for me. I also want to be like them, lighting up the light in the hearts of the children."
During one year of teaching, she visited every student's home and listened to each child's happiness, worries and sorrows.
The boy who was once introverted and had low self-esteem has become more and more cheerful and confident; the girl who didn't know a word of English handed in a test paper with a perfect score; the naughty boy in the class carefully collected the chalk bits she used and ground them into " "Love" to her...
"The path I took when I was teaching was the most practical and rewarding path I have taken in my more than 20 years of life," Pu Shuying said.
In July 2023, Pu Shuying was selected as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 31st Summer Universiade. As a youth volunteer representative, she entered the venue holding the International University Sports Federation flag together with the Olympic champions.
The spirit of Lei Feng gave Pu Shuying a fire-like enthusiasm, and also "ignited" the classmates and friends around her. The atmosphere of Lei Feng volunteer service in Chongqing University is becoming increasingly strong, and more and more students have joined the ranks of young volunteers. In 2019, 10,000 people volunteered , increasing to 86,000 passengers in 2023.
"If you lend a helping hand to others when they are in need, you are Lei Feng." Pu Shuying said.
(Reporters Ding Xiguo, Li Kun, Yin Siyuan, Xu Penghang, Zhou Siyu)