We round up Shanghai's shelters that help those with special needs. See how you can get involved
Home Sweet Home
What they do Home Sweet Home has a four-pronged programme to equip those with special needs to ‘fulfill their individual potential in the community’. This includes outreach (through offering a space where homeless people can take a shower, get clean clothes, enjoy a meal and companionship), internships (providing life skills training), vocational programmes, and initiatives to reintegrate graduates into the community and enable them to become self sufficient. The idea is to help those with special needs by ‘building their character in a loving home environment’ and to act as a ‘bridge between the community and the needy.’
How you can help Home Sweet Home’s outreach project for those in need operates every Saturday from 2-6pm and volunteers are needed to support this work. You can also help out with the skills classes such as English lessons (10am-midday every Thursday) or practical training and educational sessions taking place throughout the week. For more details on how you can get involved, contact
webinfo@homesweethome.org.cn.
Morning Tears
What they do Morning Tears is a non-political, non-religious and non-profit organisation that works to support the children of convicts in China and to ensure that these young people have full rights and are given the opportunity to realise their own potential. Morning Tears work to achieve this through extensive advocacy programmes and research, as well as practical projects which help supply residential care and build the capacity of other organisations around the world to provide proper services for the children of those who have been incarcerated.
How you can help A largely volunteer-driven operation, Morning Tears rely upon donations to continue their work. You can make a donation at their office in Changning district (Room 902, No 81, Lane 980 Beidi Lu, near Fuquan Bei Lu) or through their website. Their site also details current volunteering opportunities for those who want to get involved on a practical level.
