Letters to the Years, Powered by Care

On the morning of September 20, ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and World Alzheimer's Day, State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Company held a volunteer service activity titled "Letters to the Years" in the Gaojiadun residential community of Huzhou City. Aimed at carrying forward the traditional virtue of respecting and caring for the elderly and encouraging the public to pay greater attention to and care for older adults with cognitive impairments, the event featured a journal exhibition and community fair, through which the company's young volunteers created a public service platform combining warm, engaging activities with public education, bringing compassionate companionship to older residents.

The activity featured four thoughtfully designed sections — a journal exhibition, a public education session, a commemorative photo area, and health consultations — offering a diverse range of informative and engaging experiences. At the venue, memory journals created by older residents were displayed on exhibition boards alongside heartfelt captions, recounting their life experiences, everyday moments, and stories from years gone by. Page after page of hand-drawn illustrations and one-of-a-kind memories captured heartwarming moments in everyday life and gave residents in attendance an immersive sense of the depth and richness that come with the passage of time. Many residents visiting with their children remarked that these small journals held a wealth of cherished memories, offering glimpses into the hard work, perseverance, and happy moments that have shaped the lives of older generations.

At the Alzheimer's awareness corner, young volunteers provided community residents with information on cognitive impairment in plain, accessible language, explaining in detail how to recognize early symptoms, provide appropriate care at home, and ensure safety in daily life. Through face-to-face Q&A sessions, they helped dispel common misconceptions and encouraged residents to better understand and appropriately address age-related memory decline, fostering a supportive community environment characterized by understanding, respect, care, and support for older adults.

The commemorative photo area had a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with volunteers patiently taking individual portraits and family photos for older residents, carefully helping them adjust their clothing and framing each shot to capture their warm, genuine smiles. In addition, community healthcare professionals were invited to provide on-site preliminary health consultations, offering basic health checks and chronic disease screenings for older residents and answering their questions about memory decline, the management of common age-related conditions, and daily rehabilitation and wellness practices. They also provided one-on-one, practical and evidence-informed health and wellness guidance, bringing attentive and accessible health services closer to home for older residents in the community.

Going forward, State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power will continue to strengthen its volunteer service programs, work more closely with community partners and other social organizations to build a stronger support network for older adults, and regularly carry out public service initiatives that promote respect, assistance, and care for older adults. Through the dedication of its young volunteers and its caring services, the company will carry forward the traditional virtue of respecting and caring for older people and bring the warmth of its service to households across the community. 

(By Wu Qinqin)