Zhu Shujian helps serve meals to elderly residents at a meal service site in Chunjiang Community, Shangcheng district of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 12, 2026. (Photo: People's Daily Online)

For many people, retirement means slowing down and enjoying more quiet moments at home. For Zhu Shujian, a man in his 70s living in Chunjiang Community in Shangcheng district, Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, retirement has brought anything but an idle life.

Early in the morning, Zhu is already out in the neighborhood, wearing his red volunteer vest and helping maintain order near the school gate as children arrive for class. Around noon, he heads to the community meal service site, where he helps serve hot meals to elderly residents.

In the evening, he may join fellow volunteers on safety patrols or walk along the riverbank as part of flood prevention checks. Even on Saturdays, he does not take a break, delivering meals door to door to elderly residents in their 90s.

Over the years, Zhu has become one of the most familiar faces in Chunjiang Community. Whenever something needs attention, residents often find him there, ready to help. Many affectionately call him "Grandpa Zhu, who never sits still."

"Almost every time there is a volunteer activity in the community, Grandpa Zhu is there," said He Mu, Party secretary of Chunjiang Community. "He helps nearly every day, and we all admire his persistence. It is not hard to help once or twice, but it takes real dedication to show up day after day. For years, he has been there for the community."

For Zhu, such persistence comes from a simple but deeply held belief: retirement may end a career, but it should not end one's sense of responsibility.

A veteran Communist Party of China member with more than 30 years of Party membership, Zhu began volunteering in his community in 2019, taking on one task after another in the years since.

"These may all be small things, but they are things people need right at their doorstep," Zhu said.

When asked why he still devotes so much time and energy to volunteer work after retirement, Zhu's answer was simple: because he is a CPC member.

"People are watching Party members," he said. "The trust and respect of the people are earned through what we do, not through words."

Zhu said that after so many years as a Party member, serving others had become something natural to him. After retirement, he simply wanted to keep doing what he could for the people around him.

"If I simply stayed at home and did nothing, I would feel that I had not lived up to the title of a Party member," Zhu said. "A Party member should never forget the original aspiration."

Zhu's efforts have brought visible changes to the community.

In the past, some elderly residents had to walk a long distance to get a proper meal. After noticing the problem, Zhu suggested that a meal service site be set up closer to where seniors lived. With coordination from the community, the site was eventually opened inside the neighborhood.

But Zhu did not stop at making the suggestion. To help the meal service site run smoothly and sustainably, he volunteered there himself, serving meals, maintaining order and delivering food to seniors with mobility difficulties. His participation has not only made daily life more convenient for elderly residents, but also helped reduce the pressure on community workers and the operating costs of the site.

The same can be seen in other parts of community life. By joining night patrols, school safety support, greenery care and door-to-door visits, Zhu helps spot and address small problems before they grow bigger. His work has made the community safer and more orderly, while also easing the workload of community staff.

For Zhu, the most meaningful part of the work is seeing that these small efforts are truly needed.

"The greatest meaning is seeing the look of expectation from the people, seeing their smiles and nods," Zhu said. "Being recognized by the people is my greatest wish."

What began as one man's commitment has gradually grown into a team. Zhu later helped establish the Volunteer Service Team. Today, the team has developed working mechanisms covering public safety patrols, emergency response, flood prevention patrols, door-to-door visits, summer tea services, greenery care and meal assistance for the elderly, adding strength to the community's grassroots governance network.

Many volunteers said they were encouraged by Zhu's example. Seeing a man in his 70s show up almost every day made them feel that they, too, could do something for the community.

"At first, I was just moved by Grandpa Zhu," said one young volunteer. "He is already at this age, but he still keeps serving others. I thought, if he can do it, why can't we young people do the same?"

For Zhu, this is exactly what makes volunteer work meaningful: not only helping residents solve problems, but also bringing more people into the effort. He hopes the team can continue to pass on what he describes as a spirit of kindness, positivity and service.

"The government serves the people," Zhu said. "As veteran Party members, we should also pass on this spirit from generation to generation."