How can volunteer services increase migrant workers' sense of belonging?
如何通过志愿服务提升农民工的归属感？

Migrant workers’ lack of sense of belonging is a pressing social issue. Without incorporation into urban communities, they would face a dilemma of belonging neither to the city nor to the village. Such a life in limbo could also have profound and long-lasting effects on these workers’ children.
进城农民工缺乏归属感是一个重要的社会问题。如果不能融入城市社区，将面临“进不了城又回不了乡”的尴尬境地，而且这种缺乏归属感的生活将深刻地相应着随迁儿童。

In 2006, the website ‘Grassroots Home’ was created by Wencai Xu, who migrated from Jiangxi Province to Zhejiang Province for work in Hangzhou City. It aimed at improving migrant workers’ inner life. Calling the workers to help themselves and offer mutual support, Wencai successfully organized activities such as Grassroots Arts and Culture Festival and Migrant Workers’ Spring Festival Gala. In 2010, ‘Volunteer Station for New Residents in Hangzhou’ was established by the Labor Union of Gefan Community of Jiubao Town in Yuhuang District. It was anticipated that the station would become a model project for incorporating migrant workers into their local communities as new Hangzhou residents in four ways: (1) enriching migrant workers’ inner life through sports and cultural activities; (2) developing them into more well-rounded persons through education and training; (3) addressing their family concerns, particularly the care of their children; (4) encouraging and organizing them to participate in community services. The station provided a platform for migrant workers to become new Hangzhou residents in and through a process from being served, to self-development and self-management, and to serving others.
2006年，在杭州打工的江西籍农民工徐文财创办了“草根之家”网站，针对农民工极度缺乏精神文化生活的问题，呼吁农民工朋友自助互助，并成功组织了草根文化艺术节、民工春晚等活动。2010年，杭州市余杭区九堡镇格畈社区工会在原有的“草根之家”基础上创办了新杭州人志愿者服务站。新杭州人志愿者服务站成立的目的，就是为农民工提供一个帮扶维权、素质提升及文体服务的平台，同时组织农民工参与志愿服务活动，以推动他们作为新杭州人逐步实现自我管理，自我服务，自我提升，更好地融入杭州，从而打造农民工作为新市民融入社区的典范工程。服务站主要起到四个作用：通过各种文体活动，丰富了农民工的精神文化生活；通过教育培训，提升了农民工的综合素质；通过照顾农民工子女，解决农民工的后顾之忧；通过公益倡导，推动农民工主动融入都市生活。

Three lessons can be learned from this case. First, success of the volunteer station lies in identifying and meeting the needs of migrant workers. The workers have places to live in Hangzhou but are in great need of feeling at home, and their needs for inner life are often neglected. This niche was filled by ‘Grassroots Home’ and ‘Volunteer Station for New Residents in Hangzhou’. Second, establishment and operation of public welfare organizations depend on dedicated organizers and volunteers. Take Wencai Xu, the founder of ‘Grassroots Home’ and the director of the volunteer station, for example. He willingly spent much of his time and income on many projects. The second example is the volunteer team with stable membership. The team provided continuity of care for migrant children in the long-term ‘Dandelion Plan’, which later became a branding project of the volunteer station. Another example is a group of student volunteers from Zhejiang Gongshang University. Leveraging its proximity to the university (i.e., a distance of 15 kilometers), the volunteer station has established a long-term partnership with School of Tourism and Urban and Rural Planning. These student volunteers, therefore, became key personnel to support migrant children’s education. The third lesson is that public welfare organizations, despite being independent from local government, do need their support so as to develop well.
志愿者服务站成功运转的经验主要有以下三点：第一，以农民工的需求为核心。农民工“不缺少住的地方，但孤独一个漂泊在外，太缺少家的感觉。”农民工的精神生活需求不被关注，而草根之家和新杭州人志愿者服务站恰恰填补了这个空白。第二，公益组织的创建和运转离不开有奉献精神的组织者和志愿者。徐文财作为草根之家的创建者和新杭州人志愿者服务站的负责人，愿意付出大量的时间和自己有限的收入是关键。蒲公英计划作为其品牌项目的长期运行，也有赖于一个稳定的志愿者团队。新杭州人志愿者服务站距离浙江工商大学不到15公里，有效地与浙江工商大学旅游与城乡规划学院长期合作，由大学生志愿者长期为农民工子女提供帮教服务，解决了人员问题。第三，地方政府给予一定的支持。公益组织虽然不依赖政府而存在，但是只有处理好与政府的关系才能更好地发展。