Mianzhu Family: Chinese New Year Project

_Mianzhu Family, an NGO led by a group of volunteers with a heart for serving the elderly, organized an event to serve the lonely and elderly people around their city on Chinese New Year. The following is their plan for the event. To learn more about Mianzhu Family and its projects, please go here for Chinese, or here for English.
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Background Information:
The Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year) is one of China’s most important holidays. It is tradition for people to have family gatherings, watch the Spring Festival Gala, eat, drink, and enjoy each other’s company. But the elderly and widowed that live alone are not able to carry out this joyful occasion. Mianzhu Family’s volunteers will solve this problem! We will act as their family and keep them company. We have planned a bountiful dinner on Chinese New Year Eve, and together, we will celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon.

Objective: Invite 100 widowed/elderly individuals to the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Time: January 22nd, 2012
Location: A nursing home or a rented location

Guests:
100 widowed/elderly people
20 accompanying persons and department head of nursing home
40 volunteers
5 media reporters
5 health care securities

_Preparatory Items:
- Organize groups and divide labor on 12/26/2011
- Calculate number of people who fit with our conditions and according to the list determine final list of participants/guests on 1/10/2012
- Contact venue
- Contact chef and determine menu by 1/12/2012
- Contact volunteers and drivers, who are responsible for looking after the guests
- Purchase clothes and socks to be given as gifts by 1/20/2012
- Decorate and create a festive atmosphere at the venue the day before the event
- Contact local health authorities and the police station to obtain their assistance

Event Agenda:
8:00 PM: All volunteers will be assigned to their posts. One group of volunteer activities will put signs on the rented vehicles, and drive the vehicles to the homes of the guests. Another group of volunteers will greet the guests and sign them in.
Before 11:00 PM: Once the guests arrive, the ones who are in need of hair dressing will be seen to by volunteers. The others will watch the prepared slidshow/video.
11:00 PM: An hour of cultural performances will be presented by the volunteers.
11:50 PM: Food is served by volunteers.
12:00 AM: Liu Hua Jin will give a toast and everybody will celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
12:05 AM: Banquet officially begins.
1:30 AM: Banquet will come to an end, gifts will be passed out.
2:00 AM: Guests are dropped back home by specific group of volunteers, remaining volunteers clean up the site.
3:00 AM: Event finishes.

Event Budget:
- 12 tables and refreshments on each. 470 RMB.
- 50 volunteers, reporters, and health care securities total. 15 RMB/person for a bento. 750 RMB.
- 100 gift bags, each costing 50 RMB. Total 5000 RMB.
- 12 rented vehicles, each 100 RMB. Total 1200 RMB.
- Car stickers/signs, name cards, decorations. Total 540 RMB.
- Cost of renting venue, 100 RMB.

TOTAL: 14130

The volunteers entertain the guests with short performances.
A volunteer serves drinks.
Boxes are filled with the gift bags that contain new clothing and other necessities.
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Post translated and edited by U.S. Intern Kaitlyn Cheung