Child volunteers from Haichuang community, Yinzhou district, Ningbo, learn how to sort garbage. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News] 

When Xu Boping was tasked with checking residents' travel history and health conditions in Haichuang residential community at the end of January, just after the outbreak of COVID-19, he thought it would be impossible.

Haichuang community, located in Xiaying sub-district, Yinzhou district and established in 2015, is the largest community in Ningbo and is home to 6,056 households and over 20,000 people, 65 percent of whom are from outside Zhejiang province, according to Xu, director of the neighborhood committee of the community. 

However, at that time there were only 10 social workers available. To tackle this manpower shortage, Xu, who is also a CPC member, mobilized Party members and volunteers in the community to help out. 

A total of 108 Party members and numerous volunteers responded to his call. With their support, the committee managed to check 92 percent of residents in less than two days.

The incident embodies the soaring spirit of volunteerism in Haichuang community. Official data show that 71 percent of residents living in the community have engaged in volunteer services.

The community has also developed a "public welfare coin" mechanism to promote volunteerism. Coins are obtained by offering volunteer services to others and allow recipients to take part in public welfare activities with limited numbers of attendees, such as classes on raising plants. 

This mechanism has greatly enhanced residents' enthusiasm for volunteering. The number of residents participating in volunteer services in Haichuang has now sugred to 9,000 per year.