Social group reaches out to stressed white-collar workers
An activity room of the Elite Union
An activity room on Nanjing Rd W. in Jing'an District was the gathering place for a group of white-collar workers during their lunch break on Friday.
Under the guidance of an instructor, they practiced pen painting and created images of Shanghai's famous landscapes.
"It offers a rare short respite from the busy work and enriches my noon break," one of the workers, surnamed Huang, said.
The activity area is part of Elite Union and is run by a social group.
Established in 2009, Elite Union has arranged a variety of activities for local workers, providing a platform for making friends and finding soulmates.
It's time for painting.
With over 1,000 activities planned every year, it has reached out to 340,000 white-collar employees in the district.
Li Zhe, the deputy director of Elite Union, said that "the activities are varied, from dance and drawing to Peking Opera, A cappella, modern drama and yoga."
"The most popular option is dance, but other events like talk shows are also available," Li said.
The venue also has a coffee shop and a reading room.
White-collar workers enjoy painting at Elite Union.
There are a lot of white-collar workers in Jing'an.
"Over the course of the previous 10 years, we have continuously updated our services in response to the changing demand," Shi Yichan, Party secretary and leader of Elite Union, said.
"In recent years, we have organized concerts and hosted matchmaking events with different themes to help singles find soulmates with the same interests, enhance their sense of belonging, and create a sweet home for them in the district," Shi said.
"Psychological counseling services are provided to relieve the pressure on white-collar workers."
The reading area at Elite Union
The social group embodies Shanghai's more than 17,000 social organizations.
According to the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, 17,339 social organizations had been registered in Shanghai as of the end of June, and they have been actively promoting the city's social and economic growth.
Among them, 4,303 are social groups, while 12,422 are social service providers. Foundations make up the remaining 614.
They span a wide range of topics, including social governance, philanthropy, green and low-carbon technologies, science and technology innovation, and rural rejuvenation, the bureau said.
