In the face of the pandemic, there are people who have never stepped back, they include members of the Communist Party of China and passionate public. They work closely with the neighborhood committees and healthcare workers. They are called volunteers. The lives of citizens have returned to normality, and the epidemic prevention and control situation has become normalized. However, the volunteer teams built during Shanghai’s battle against the pandemic are still protecting communities’ safety.

A message saying “we need support from volunteers in the mass nucleic acid testing (NAT) tonight, and volunteers who want to join us please come to the neighborhood committee at 6:00 pm to collect personal protective equipment.” was sent in the WeChat group consisting of residents in the Gaojing Second Village in Baoshan District and volunteers responded instantly. “I will arrive at the community soon. Leave me a place”, “I am also in, my company is nearby and I will come back within half an hour”…Many of the volunteers rushed to the NAT site right after work, began to assist after finishing disinfection and putting on the protective uniform.

The active reaction from the volunteers surprised and moved the community personnel. “Although life has returned to normality, volunteers still respond quickly to offer help, no matter the routine NAT or the recent ‘two tests within 72 hours’ regulation. They have become the backbone of the regular epidemic prevention and control in our community”, said by a community worker in the Gaojing Second Village residential area.

Xu Jiayan is one of the volunteers fighting the pandemic in Gaojing Second Village. He had just received an elbow surgery at the end of June. When hearing about the notice from the neighborhood committee, he immediately devoted himself to maintaining the order of NAT in the community regardless of his unhealed injury, without bringing any delay in the progress of testing. In addition to Xu Jiayan, Zhu Xiaobin is another volunteer with injuries in this fight. Since the lockdown, Zhu has become one of the volunteer team, delivering supplies to residents and maintaining the order of NAT. Owing to the high-intensity work, he got piriformis syndrome. But it did not stop him from assisting in every community NAT. When piriformis syndrome occurs, Zhu has to stand up throughout the testing. “Although I felt painful wearing the protective uniform at that time, I could persist to the end of the NAT, so as not to delay the progress.” Other volunteers advised Zhu to have a break, but he insisted that “I’m fine. I can do it”.

In the volunteer team, there was also one volunteer who never “go home”. Since the lockdown of the community, Fang Lei has been living in his workplace. Whenever a mass NAT is conducted, he will come to the test site with community staff and other volunteers to prepare for the upcoming test in an orderly manner. Everyone is exhausted after each sampling, but Fang Lei always volunteers to transfer the samples to the testing center using his private vehicle. He did so because early arrival brings early NAT results, which is a must-have for working residents of the community.

Since June 1, Shanghai has comprehensively resumed production and normal life, and people can walk out of the community after a two-month lockdown. But for Li Shibo and Gao Junjie, who are volunteers of Gonghe Fifth Village, they continue to provide volunteer services. In each following NAT, they always work with other volunteers in the community.

April 1 was the day that the community entered into closed-off management, and that day was also Li Shibo’s 18th birthday. From this day on, Li Shibo began his volunteer career for over three months. For him, this experience was more like a special adult ceremony. “It was not until I assisted NAT in the community wearing a protective uniform under the scorching sun that I experienced the hardships of medical personnel. It was not until I distributed supplies and delivered packages that I realized how difficult the work was. It was not until I saw residents’ active cooperation in the lockdown that I realized how coherent our residents were. It was not until I heard ‘thank you’ so many times and saw people’s smiles after the reopening that I realized my job was ordinary but great. Having a working experience like this at 18 will be my most valuable asset when growing up,” Li Shibo said.

During the fight against the pandemic, Gao Junjie chose to become a community volunteer rather than stay at home. “It is my pleasure to contribute to society when it needs me.” As a volunteer, Gao Junjie travels between buildings to deliver packages and supplies to the residents. I feel happy even though the job is tiring, “I find myself helpful because being a volunteer enables me to find my value. I have also made new friends and cultivated my social relationships and communication skills, which broaden my horizons and increase my social working experience. It helps a lot in my personal growth,” Gao Junjie said.

“Please keep a safe distance of two meters from others”, “The weather is hot, but please keep your face mask on”, “Please prepare the health code in advance”…These sincere reminders come from our familiar volunteers. In the fifth residential area of Yixian Second Village, most workers engaged in the massive NAT belong to the original volunteer team. Although the lockdown of the community was lifted and volunteers returned to their jobs, they would quickly gather at the community as soon as they were in need.

“Our volunteer team has not been and will not be disbanded.” Volunteers of the fifth residential area of Yixian Second Village said that the massive NAT conducted every weekend has become part of their daily life. After entering June, they also discussed the regular epidemic prevention and control in the community with neighborhood committees and contributed good ideas. “For example, to decide where to place the additional NAT site they would first stimulate the movement trajectory of the residents, and then draw a roadmap and determine posts.”

“Only when you do things without prioritizing your gains or losses, will you do them right.” A volunteer said that activities during the pandemic have prompted mutual understanding between neighbors, making their relationship more harmonious, orderly, and united. These united volunteer teams lay a good foundation for workforce and management after the pandemic and play an important role in “the last 100 meters” when serving residents.