The People's Armed Police "Dawn Relief" Volunteer Service Team in Action
"Dawn Relief" in Action ■ Zhao Yi, Dong Haotian
Since the onset of summer, temperatures in Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, have remained persistently high, and continuous overcast rain has led to a proliferation of mosquitoes. Sister Zhang, who lives near the garrison of the Shangluo Detachment of the PAP Shaanxi General Corps, heard a knock at her door early one morning. When she opened it, she found the detachment's "Dawn Relief" (曙光解忧) service team delivering a warm care package of heat-prevention and cooling supplies.
"Sister, the weather has been hot lately — we've come to bring you some everyday heat-prevention items."
"Thank you so much!" Recognizing the familiar PAP officers and soldiers, Sister Zhang expressed her gratitude repeatedly. "Last time, it was thanks to you that the gas leak in my home was discovered and the safety hazard was eliminated…"
"Sister, that is exactly why we make these regular visits!" said Feng Yongzheng, a Staff Sergeant Second Class and member of the service team.
The "Dawn Relief" volunteer service team is a newly established volunteer service unit formed by the detachment this year. Originally, it was a team spontaneously organized by officers and soldiers to serve the families of military personnel. But once they ventured outside the garrison, they found that local residents also faced no shortage of troubles, and so they expanded their service scope to include nearby civilians, helping them resolve difficulties and worries.
Not long ago, when the service team visited Sister Zhang's home, only elderly residents and children were present, yet team members detected a faint smell of gas. They acted decisively, evacuating all persons from the premises and conducting a thorough inspection for hazards, thereby preventing a gas leak accident.
"Elderly people living alone and households with left-behind children (留守儿童) are the focus of our visits," said Yang Lou, the service team's leader. The team has also established a dedicated hotline — the "Shangshan Luoshui Loyal Guardian Hotline" (商山洛水忠诚守护专线) — and distributed contact cards to residents in the surrounding area.
"The balcony upstairs has been dripping water the whole time — can you go up and take a look?" "My relative's child wants to apply to a military academy — what are the important things to be aware of?"… Along the route distributing the heat-prevention care packages, service team members patiently answered residents' questions and attended to their concerns. Though the residents' needs were varied and trivial, the team members remained patient throughout: "Our service team is named 'Dawn' (曙光), and the meaning is exactly that — to radiate light and warmth, and to bring warmth to others."