Autumn 2025

Heart to Heart Newsletter

Don’t miss reading our 2024 annual report.  It is available on our website at www.h2hsh.com or on our WeChat site (just scan the code).  Thanks to everyone who contributed to our efforts in any way.  It was a great year!

别错过我们的 2024 年年度报告！您可以在我们的网站 www.h2hsh.com 或微信公众号（扫码查看）上获取。感谢所有以任何方式支持我们工作的人，这是精彩的一年！

This November our 7th Art for Hearts exhibition sale will be held at the Shanghai Centre. 100% of the funds generated from this sale will sponsor children for heart surgery. Over the last 6 years, Art for Hearts has successfully sponsored 67 children and now we’re calling for more artwork to help us achieve more surgeries!  If you are an artist who would like to present your work in this exhibition and gift your work for sale, please scan the QR code to register your donation.

Thank you also for helping to spread the word by sharing this with your artist friends, re-posting in Moments and forwarding by email. We need your support!

2025年度“艺连心”慈善艺术展即将到来，我们需要您的艺术支持！

今年11月，第七届“艺连心”慈善艺术展将在上海商城举行。本次艺术展收入所得将全部用于资助儿童心脏手术。在过去的六年里，“艺连心”已经成功资助了67名儿童完成心脏手术。现在，我们呼吁更多的艺术作品来帮助我们进行更多的手术！

如果您是一位希望在本次艺术展中展示自己的作品，并捐赠作品进行义卖的艺术家，请扫描二维码注册捐赠。

也非常感谢您通过分享给您的艺术家朋友、在朋友圈转发、以及通过电子邮件转发等方式来帮助我们传播这个消息。我们需要您的支持！

这二十二年，心连心的每一步成长与发展，都离不开志愿者们满怀热忱的奉献。俗话说“众人拾柴火焰高”——这些年来，我们的各支志愿者队伍同心协力，不仅帮助我们达成了目标，更改变了中国很多孩子与家庭的命运。

Why do we volunteer? Each individual has their own reasons. My volunteering journey started over 35 years ago when out of a desire to be helpful and supportive along with having spare time, I joined a support group to care for the terminally ill, something very new to me. I filled such roles as Buddy Support, Home Care Volunteering and Palliative Care. This experience was emotionally exhausting and sad, but it was one of the best things I have ever done and the rewards outweighed the dire circumstances that some individuals found themselves in. I caught the volunteering bug.

我们为何投身志愿工作？每人都有自己的理由。我的志愿者之旅始于三十五年前——那时，我希望能在闲暇之余帮助和支持有需要的人，便加入了一个临终关怀小组。那对我是全然陌生的领域。我承担了心灵陪护、居家照护到安宁疗护等不同角色。那段经历让人情绪透支、心情沉重，但依然是我人生中最值得做的事。看到困境中的人因为我的帮助而获得力量，这份收获远大于付出。从此, 我就在志愿服务的路上停不下来了。

Moving away from that area I then spent over 14 years volunteering in mental health support, another area that was new to me but with my tools of empathy, dedication and listening (it took me some time to learn), it was an opportunity to connect and give people the space to express themselves and their situations without being judged or given advice.

离开临终关怀领域后，我又在心理健康支持方向做了十四年多志愿者——那于我而言同样是个全新的领域。靠着慢慢习得的同理心、专注力和倾听能力，我开始与人们链接，为人们创造不被评判、不被说教的安全空间，让他们能自在地表达自己。

So here we are in 2025 and my role now is to work with Karen and the team to continue the
fantastic work of H2H, something that when it was started nobody ever imagined how essential and positive it would become.

转眼来到2025年，如今我的职责是与Karen及团队伙伴们一起延续心连心的使命和所取得的成绩——在最初起步时，谁都不曾想到它能带来如此深远的影响和改变。

So why become a volunteer?
There are numerous articles available that list the positive benefits of volunteering. From my
personal experience some of my highlights have been:

那么，为什么要当志愿者呢？
关于志愿服务的好处，已有大量文章做过详细阐述。就我个人经历而言，最深刻的收获主要有以下几点：

** Connect with like-minded people. You will find you have a lot in common with many people you volunteer with.

能结识志同道合的人。你会发现大家原来有这么多的共同语言。

** Build and improve your empathy. Often, we may feel we are experiencing our own crisis, but volunteering for those less fortunate or more in need will keep you grounded.

培养并提升同理心。很多时候，我们可能觉得自己正经历困境，但通过帮助那些处境更艰难的人，你会对生活有更清醒的认识。

** Make lifelong friends. You may not bond with all your volunteering colleagues, but I guarantee some of them, and their extended families, will become your greatest friends and supporters.

交到一辈子的朋友。做志愿时未必跟每个人都投缘，但绝对能遇到几个知心伙伴，连他们的家人都会成为你最重要的朋友和最坚实的后盾。

** Learn new skills. We all have something to give and are willing to learn more to support
organizations that can use our hidden or newly leaned talents.

学习新技能。我们各有所长，也都愿意不断学习，不管是与生俱来的才能还是新学的本领，都能找到用武之地。

** Improve your social life and connections. Become a part of the community.

拓展社交圈，真正融入社区。

** Feel a sense of accomplishment by giving back to others.

回馈社会能带来满足感。

** Lose your sense of being judgmental and become more open minded.

放下评判心，学会用更开放的心态看待事物。

** Become accepting. Acknowledge the facts of a situation and don’t be fixated on how it shouldn’t be the way it is.

学会接纳——看清事实，而不是执着于“它不该是这样”。

While all those benefits sound wonderful, one of the things that can affect your volunteering
experience is the dreaded “Volunteer Burnout” … Yes, we can get tired of it. Volunteers can often find themselves in a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion brought about by over-commitment, unrealistic expectations, feelings of lack of appreciation and support and conflicts within the volunteering group. We need to remember that we are not superheroes and the most important thing in our role is our own self-care and wellbeing. Remember to take care of yourself before you commit to take care of others.

虽然这些好处听起来都很美好，但有一样东西会影响我们的做志愿者的体验——志愿者倦怠。是的，我们也会倦怠。志愿者们不时会因为过度投入、不切实际的期望、缺乏被认可和支持的感受，以及志愿团队内部的矛盾，而陷入身体、情绪和精神的多重耗竭状态。我们必须记住，我们并非超人，在这个角色中最重要的就是照顾好自己。请记住：想要温暖他人，先要让自己保持温度。

But still, volunteering benefits greatly outweigh the time and commitment you offer and you can have that warm fuzzy feeling that you are doing good work, this will help improve your sense of worth knowing that you are doing good work and others are benefiting from your involvement.

不过说到底，志愿工作带来的收获，远比你付出的时间和精力珍贵得多。那种"我正在做有意义的事的温暖感觉，会让你真切地感受到自己的价值——因为你知道，你的参与真的帮到了别人。

At H2H we are always looking for volunteers and have a number of areas and different teams where your skills and enthusiasm would be greatly appreciated and needed. Volunteer with us!

心连心永远欢迎新伙伴加入。我们有很多不同的志愿服务小组，等待有特长、有热情的你来加入。来吧，和我们一起挽救生命，改变命运吧！

A BIG Heart to Heart thank you goes to: Sze kay, Leonart, Daniel, Will, Jasmine, Sienna, Lashindra, Leah, Sophie and Sam

Sze Kay: “Volunteering at Heart to Heart was one of my highlights this summer, the atmosphere is always so cheerful and working together at assembly was a great experience.”

Leah: “The community is very welcoming and it feels wonderful to be supporting the children”

Sienna: “It was touching to see so many people working together to help kids get heart surgeries. Thanks for the experience!”

Leonart: “It was a great opportunity to get to know new people while also helping children at the hospital. It was a great experience!”

Jasmine: “I really enjoyed volunteering for a day! It’s amazing to see how everyone works together, turning donations into life-changing heart surgeries.”

Sam: “I felt happy and welcomed, it was fun to break down the Lego and count puzzles and eat snacks”

Sophie: “It felt nice to actually help someone and that I can help people who needed help and I felt super welcomed at assembly”

**If you’d like to volunteer there are year-round opportunities at both our Yoda and Yida locations**

近期，我们当中不少老志愿者都外出走亲访友了，看到活动室里有年轻志愿者源源不断地加入，真是太棒了。非常感谢这些学生在暑假期间抽出空闲时间前来帮忙——我们由衷感谢你们付出的时间和努力，正是有了你们，远大心胸医院活动室才能在整个夏天正常运转！

在此，“心连心”向以下人员致以最诚挚的感谢：施凯、莱昂纳特、丹尼尔、威尔、贾丝明、西耶娜、拉欣德拉、利亚、索菲和山姆。

Sze Kay：“在‘心连心’做志愿者是我今年夏天最难忘的经历之一，这里的氛围总是那么欢快，大家一起在活动室工作的经历非常棒。”

Leah：“这个团体非常热情友好，能为孩子们提供帮助，我很开心。”

Sienna：“看到这么多人齐心协力支持孩子们做心脏手术，真的很令人感动。感谢让我有这样的经历！”

Leonart：”这是一个很棒的机会，既能认识新朋友，又能帮助医院里的孩子们。这次经历太棒了！必须打10分”

Jasmine：“我真的很享受这一天的志愿者工作！看到大家齐心协力，将捐赠转化为能改变生命的心脏手术，太令人惊叹了。”

Sam：“这里的氛围很融洽，我在这里很开心。拆乐高、数拼图，还有零食吃，都很有趣。”

Sophie：“能真正帮到别人，能为那些需要帮助的人出一份力，感觉很好。在活动室里，大家都特别友好。”

**如果您也想成为志愿者，我们的远大和医大两个站点常年都有志愿服务机会。

What is Heart to Heart assembly?  It’s what we call our team of volunteers who help us prepare for all the various activities we do to support our sponsored children and their families.  Nothing could go forward smoothly at Heart to Heart without the assemblers.  Traditionally, at our H2H location at Yuanda Hospital (Yoda) in Xuhui district, the assembly team sorts donated goods, sets up for events, prepares for field trips, dresses bears, sews on buttons, embroiders …. the list is endless.  Most people are familiar with this.

Now, however, we are in the process of forming another assembly team.  This one is located at Yida Hospital in Qingpu district.  Why? That’s where the vast majority of our sponsored children have their heart surgeries and it’s where our mini-warehouse is located.  There are many, many things we need to prepare for the children and their families and it’s easiest to do the tasks out where they are located.  At Yida Hospital assembly we receive donated goods from sponsors (if the items are new) and also from the assembly team at Yuanda Hospital (after everything has been sorted).  The team at Yida then sorts the donated items in with the other goods in the warehouse to get them ready for making gift bags for our sponsored children.  Depending upon what our priority is on a given day, the team sorts goods, prepares for field trips, packs gift bags for the sponsored children, delivers bags to the children on the wards, etc.  It’s social.  It’s fun.  It is a wonderful way to see what the children need, what they’re like and to make them very happy.

At Yida Hospital assembly, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t talented in a certain area!  No skills are required.  All you have to be is at least 15 years old to participate — or children of at least 8 years old are welcomed if a responsible parent is with them.  Please note that the work is in a mini-warehouse…. it’s a little dirty, it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  But, it’s all good since it’s for the kids!  Generally, we meet on Tuesdays from 2-5 and Thursdays from 11-4.  Come late – leave early – it’s all up to you.

Contact infoh2h@rendefoundation.org or WeChat id 13916295852 to get the exact schedule and location at the hospital.  We want your help!  You’ll be glad you joined the team!

心连心后勤志愿者团队是为所有支持我们资助的儿童及其家庭的活动做准备工作的志愿者所组成的团队。没有这些志愿者，心连心的工作将无法顺利进行。通常，在我们徐汇区远大医院（Yoda）的H2H地点，后勤志愿者团队会整理捐赠物品，为活动做好准备，筹备短途旅行，给玩具小熊穿衣服、缝扣子、刺绣等。大家对此并不陌生。

然而，目前我们正在组建另一个后勤志愿者团队。这个团队位于青浦区的医大医院。为什么选择这里呢？因为这里是我们资助的大多数儿童接受心脏手术的地方，也是我们的迷你仓库所在。我们需要为儿童及其家庭准备许多物品，而在他们所在的地方进行准备工作是最为方便的。在医大医院的后勤志愿者团队中，我们接受来自赞助商（如果物品是全新的）的捐赠，以及来自远大医院的后勤志愿者团队经过分类之后的物品。医大医院的后勤团队随后将捐赠物品与仓库中的其他物品进行分类，以准备为我们的资助儿童制作礼品袋。根据当天的优先事项，团队会对物品进行分类、准备外出活动、为资助儿童包装礼品袋、将袋子送到病房中的儿童手中等。这是一项社会性工作并且很有趣。这是了解孩子们需求、性格以及让他们感到快乐的绝佳方式。

在医大医院的后勤志愿者团队中，无论您在某个领域是否有才华都没有关系！不需要任何技能，您只需年满15岁即可参加，8岁以上的儿童如果有家长陪同也欢迎参与。请注意，这些工作是在一个小型仓库内进行，虽然那里有些脏，夏天会热，冬天会冷，但为了孩子们这一切都是值得的。一般来说，我们在星期二的下午2点至5点和星期四的上午11点至下午4点集合，您可以自行决定晚到或早退。请通过infoh2h@rendefoundation.org或微信ID 13916295852联系，以获取确切日程和医院的地点。我们需要您的帮助！您会很高兴加入这个团队的！

你知道吗？与单胎婴儿相比，先天性心脏病在双胞胎，尤其是单绒毛膜双胞胎中，发病率更高？全球范围内每1000例单胎婴儿中约有7-9例先心病患儿，而双胞胎的发病率高达每1000例中约20例。共享同一胎盘的单绒毛膜双胞胎风险更高，研究显示其发病率可达单胎婴儿的9倍——这个数字相当惊人！

这大概就是我们这些年接诊了这么多双胞胎患儿的原因吧。对于患儿父母而言，无论是手术前和还是期间都必然承受着巨大压力！

我知道这是我们最近收治的华晶和华玉这对双胞胎的妈妈和外婆的情况。

他们在手术前（当然还有两个小姑娘）完全吓坏了。不过所有的事都非常成功，现在姐妹俩又恢复了正常、活泼可爱的模样。所有人都如释重负——祝这个家庭未来好运！

我们致力于资助中国困境家庭的先天性心脏病患儿进行手术治疗。截至目前，已帮助9名患儿筹集善款完成了治疗。这些手术不仅挽救了一条条幼小的生命，更是改变了一个个家庭的命运。

Since 2021, we have been operating with a budget of 0 yuan so all donations could go for heart surgery. Everything and everyone is voluntary. We open our accounts to the public and stake holders. We conduct post-surgery visits so that the sponsors can observe and get to know the children they helped.

自2021年成立以来,始终坚持100%由志愿者管理运营，无任何雇员。零成本的运营意味着每一笔捐赠都100%用于资助手术费用。我们为捐款人提供所捐款项的支出明细，并提供前往医院看望患儿的所需协助。每一个为这些孩子付出的善举都让我们备受感动。

How you can help
We thank our key partner Shanghai West Country Club for their kindness and making our charity golf event possible. We will host a golf fundraiser in hopes of securing 60,000rmb by  which we will be able to provide surgeries for two children.

本次赛事在周庄的光明高尔夫俱乐部举办，透过体育这个无国界，无语言障碍的媒介，将爱心集结，为更多患有先天性心脏病的困境儿童募捐手术经费,让孩子们获得新生命的机会。今年我们争取募集6万元！

Through sports we can bring businesses closer
Please participate in our event, take part in our experience center program where we offer booths and the opportunity to showcase your products/services.
We want help you raise awareness by:

1. Branding and building a strong social-responsibility profile
2. Expand and interact with users who come from multi-national backgrounds
3. Connect with decision makers that share the same values/philosophy

我们诚挚邀约贵单位加入我们的阵容，通过参与品牌入驻推广的模式现场展示贵单位的品牌文化与服务体验。
参与本次赛事的品牌推广联动计划，

1. 强化企业的社会公益形象
2. 拓展多元化的国际友人社群 (细分用户：关注体育的高端用户与企业方）
3. 通过公益向善的场景，认识志同道合，结缘更多同样为商业向善投入的行业精英/决策者们。

Available options

1. Sponsorship program
2. Sponsored trophies for the top 3 teams (custom LOGO exposure)

赞助方案

1. 赞助商方案
2. “冠亚季军”公仔：定制化公仔联名款（品牌LOGO露出）

Take care of those in need.  Be a life changer
We are excited to have you on board!
照顾彼此，分享多余，挽救生命 改变命运
期待有您与企业品牌的加入～

The G4H Organizer’s Committee
G4H组委会

The pool players come from all different walks of life and are of many different nationalities.  Everybody fits in.  All different skill levels compete – including those of us with no skill at all.  The games are fun, friendly and definitely have a purpose.  BNC hosts the tournament every Saturday night at 5pm – 685 Xikang Rd in Jing’an.  No reservation is necessary.  Come play with us as we work on sponsoring an 11^th child for heart surgery!

问题：这些孩子有什么共同点？？？
答案：他们从未听说过台球这项运动——但十个孩子的的心脏手术费用，全部来自BNC每周六晚上的慈善台球比赛。

在这里，无论你来自哪里，无论你从事什么样的职业，无论你是职业选手还是新手，都能享受比赛的乐趣，同时为生命助力。
BNC的慈善台球比赛每周六下午5点在静安区西康路685号举行，无需预约。欢迎加入我们，一起为第11位需要心脏手术的孩子筹集善款！

And, remember….. not only are you making a child who has just had heart surgery happy, but you are contributing towards the sponsorship of another child for heart surgery.  (The sale of 166 bears fully sponsors a heart surgery!)  It’s a beautiful gesture.

Contact infoh2h@rendefoundation.org for your bear(s)!

Hi.  Here is the translation for #3 for approval:

心连心的爱心志愿者们，二十多年来一直在为我们的标志性“爱心熊”亲手编织精美的小衣服。也正因为这份坚持和爱心，越来越多的朋友购买了爱心熊。有的人只买一只，有的人则收藏了穿着不同服装的多只爱心熊。不管你家中已经有几只爱心熊，我们都真诚地邀请你——为一位正在住院的小朋友送上一只。这份礼物，将为孩子带来温暖、陪伴和无尽的欢乐。我们的孩子们特别喜欢这些爱心熊，他们会搂着它入睡、悄悄和它说话，把它当成最亲密的朋友。我常常看到孩子们在病床上轻声细语地和小熊交流，那份依恋和爱意，正是他们内心最需要的安慰。所以，为什么不为这些正在经历艰难时刻的孩子，送上一份特别的关爱呢？你可以选择购买一只（或多只）爱心熊，我们将代你亲手送到孩子手中。如果你愿意留下联系方式，我们也很乐意把孩子与他/她收到的爱心熊的合影发给你，与你一同见证这份爱的传递。

请相信，你送出的不仅是一只玩具熊，更是一份希望。你不仅让一个刚刚做完心脏手术的孩子重展笑颜，也在帮助另一个孩子迈向康复之路——因为每售出166只爱心熊，就能全额资助一台儿童心脏手术。这是一份真正温暖而有力量的善举。

如需购买爱心熊，请联系：infoh2h@rendefoundation.org

Three special groups — IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), Morgan Stanley, and the Royal Thai Consulate — volunteered with us over the very hot summer months.  They helped us in many ways.

Staffing the playroom:
The group volunteers were some of the magic behind our playroom — bright, colorful spaces where young patients can play, laugh, and forget about their worries for a while. The group volunteers prepared the playroom so that it was ready for the children to enjoy and then staffed it to help the children play. The children’s smiles, energy, and kindness help turn hospital stay into more comforting experiences.

Reorganizing the mini-warehouse:
Another important task our group volunteers took on was to help reorganize our mini-warehouse, where we store all the clothes, toys, and treats for the Heart to Heart bags that are given to each family. Every child who comes for heart surgery receives one of these bags lovingly filled with gifts from our donors. These bags are more than just “goodies” — they carry messages of love, encouragement, and hope which help to brighten the children’s days during recovery.

Sometimes, the work is done in the middle of Shanghai’s sweltering heat, yet our volunteers never complain. They bring their passion, energy, and caring hearts, knowing their efforts will make a difference. And every time, we hope they leave feeling the same joy and fulfillment that they’ve helped to give to the children.

Thank You for Making a Difference!  To our friends at IHG, Morgan Stanley, and the Royal Thai Consulate (and the other groups who volunteer at other times of the year) — thank you for your commitment and compassion. Whether you’re volunteering in the playroom or sorting through boxes of toys and clothes, your efforts send a powerful message to the children: you are not alone. Your love and support mean the world to them.

在上海心连心，我们深知康复不仅仅依赖于医疗治疗——它还需要快乐、安慰与被关爱的感觉。感谢团体志愿者们的无私奉献，我们才能用多种方式，将这份温暖送到医院里的孩子身边。

这个炎热的夏天，三个特别的团体加入了我们的行列——洲际酒店集团（IHG）、摩根士丹利（Morgan Stanley）以及泰王国驻上海总领事馆。他们在各方面都给予了我们巨大的支持。

温暖的游戏室
团体志愿者们是游戏室里“神奇的幕后力量”——在这个明亮、多彩的空间里，小患者们可以尽情玩耍、开怀大笑，暂时忘记病痛与担忧。志愿者们提前布置好游戏室，耐心地陪伴孩子们玩游戏、做手工，让每一声笑声都在这里回荡。孩子们的笑容与活力，让医院的日子也多了一份温馨与欢乐。

整理迷你仓库
另一项重要的工作，是协助我们整理迷你仓库。这里存放着所有装进“心连心爱心包”的衣物、玩具和礼物。每一位来做心脏手术的孩子，都会收到一份由捐赠者用心准备的爱心包。它不仅仅是礼物，更是一份饱含爱、鼓励与希望的心意，照亮孩子们的康复之路。
有时，这些工作需要在酷热的天气中完成，但志愿者们从不抱怨。他们带着热情、活力与关怀，用双手传递温暖，因为他们知道——自己的付出，会让孩子们的世界更美好。我们也希望，每一次离开时，志愿者的心中都能装满与孩子们同样的喜悦与满足。

感谢你们带来的改变！
致洲际酒店集团、摩根士丹利、泰王国驻上海总领事馆的朋友们（以及一年中其他时间来参与的志愿团体）——感谢你们的坚持与关怀。无论是在游戏室陪伴孩子，还是在仓库中整理一箱箱玩具与衣物，你们都在用行动告诉孩子们：你并不孤单。你们的爱与支持，对心连心的心脏病病儿而言，意义非凡。

One unfortunate side to nomadic expat life is constantly having to say goodbye to friends and colleagues. Sadly, this month it is my turn to announce that our time here in China is up and it is with a leaden heart I am busy packing up my belongings and getting ready to say my farewells.

However, looking back over the past three years I can truly say that volunteering with Heart to Heart has been one of the greatest highlights of my time here in China. When I returned to Shanghai at the start of 2023, I duly signed up as a volunteer with the assembly team, joining the regular helpers at Yodak hospital. Little did I know that my Tuesdays and Thursdays would quickly become dedicated to various Heart to Heart activities, and the only sure thing was that no week would ever look the same! With much laughter and merriment, deliveries flew in to be sorted, and boxes of toys and supplies swiftly delivered to the Yida team -often by our own lovely driver Mr Yao, who deserves a special mention for the vital part he has played in Heart to Heart over the past 2 and a half years.

I take back to France with me a host of unforgettable experiences, from our lively shared lunches around the table of the assembly room, to crazy fund-raising antics and adventurous field trips across China visiting former patients in their hometowns. The warmth of the children’s smiles and the welcome we received from their families was second to none and I will cherish these memories forever. Whilst it is hard to pick a favourite Heart to Heart moment, our visit to Anhui province in 2024 stands out as particularly memorable. My extended family had grouped together to sponsor a library package and my daughter and I then had the honour of travelling to the school and presenting the books to the students in person. The result was smiles, interspersed with tears of joy and laughter from all sides: it sincerely was a wonderful experience to meet the pupils and staff, to be able to give something back to the children of China and feel like we were leaving a tiny legacy behind us.

Of course, here in Shanghai many of you know me simply as “Mary (Books)” and I’m so pleased to report book donations to Heart to Heart have simply soared over the past 2 years. As well as supplying the children in the hospital with books to while away their time in bed, we have provided the funds for three heart surgeries. And as a bonus each child sponsored by the book team receives a large box of books delivered directly to their home to educate, entertain and inspire them as they to continue their road to recovery.  The enthusiasm shown to the book programme has been exponential and on Thursday evenings I can feel the excitement as people across the city reach for their phones. As an academic specialising in children’s literature (MA & PhD), the thought of touching so many young lives and actively encouraging literacy in so many households is truly inspiring…but never fear I leave behind me a new team of book enthusiasts who I know will pick up the reins and carry on this literacy legacy for many years to come!

Lastly a big thank you to all the volunteers that have made my time here so special. Although Shanghai will no longer be home to me, I leave with friendships that I know will last a lifetime and memoires to cherish forever. Let’s hope this is not a final goodbye but just an au revoir…Heart to Heart will live in my heart forever!

外派生活的一个不幸之处是必须不断地向朋友和同事告别。遗憾的是，这个月轮到我来宣布我们在中国的时光已结束，我怀着沉重的心情打包我的行李，准备和大家告别。

然而，回顾过去三年，我可以真诚地说，参与心连心的志愿者活动是我在中国生活期间最重要的亮点之一。当我在2023年初回到上海时，我正式报名成为心连心后勤队的志愿者，加入了在远大医院的常规后勤工作。谁能想到，我的周二和周四会迅速专注于各种心连心的活动，而唯一可以确定的是每周的活动都不相同！在欢声笑语中，许多物品迅速被送来、等待分类，玩具和供应的物品也被迅速送往医大团队，而这经常是通过我们亲爱的司机姚先生，他在过去两年半的时间里为心连心作出了重要贡献。

当然，在上海，许多人都只知道我叫“玛丽（书籍）”，我很高兴地说，在过去的两年里，向心连心的书籍捐赠数量显著增长。除了为医院里的孩子们提供消遣时间的书籍外，我们还提供了三次心脏手术所需的资金。作为额外的奖励，每个由图书团队赞助的孩子都会收到一大箱书籍，直接送到他们的家中，以教育、娱乐和激励他们继续康复的道路。人们对图书项目表现出的热情是指数级的，每到星期四的晚上，我都能感受到全城人们拿起手机时的兴奋。作为一名专注于儿童文学的学者（硕士和博士），能够触及如此多年轻生命并积极促进众多家庭的识字能力，的确令人振奋。但是请不要担心我的离开，我身后有一个新的书籍爱好者团队，我相信他们将接过接力棒，继续传承这一阅读文化的遗产，伴随我们走过许多未来的岁月！最后，衷心感谢所有让我的时光如此特别的志愿者们。尽管上海不再是我物理意义上的家，但我带着将会持续一生的友谊和永远珍藏的回忆离开。希望这不是最后的告别，而只是一次短暂的再见，心连心将永远留在我的心中！

On many afternoons each week kids start lining up outside the Heart to Heart-Yida Hospital playroom hoping that a volunteer will be there to open the door and let them enter the magical kingdom they’ve been dreaming of since the time it closed the day before.  They don’t care that the hours they spend in the playroom will speed up their recovery rate through gentle exercise and the lifting of their spirits.  They just want a few hours away from their hospital room, tests, doctors and boredom.  They want to have fun and play.

But all too often, we don’t have a volunteer available from 2-4 to open the doors and watch/help them play. In that case, the playroom can’t be opened. The kids can’t play.  The excitement they felt waiting for the door to open dies down and they sadly go back to their rooms.  It’s heartbreaking to watch them.  And this happens many days a week.

COME VOLUNTEER IN THE PLAYROOM!  It’s easy.  It’s rewarding.  No special talents are needed.  And you make children happy and well.  Take a few hours out of your day for them.  Neither you nor they will be disappointed.  Sign up on our website at www.h2hsh.com  to have your orientation and start in the playroom.  Do it for the children!

在心连心–医大医院的游戏室外，每到下午，孩子们就会早早排起队，眼睛里满是期待——他们盼望着志愿者来开门，好让他们走进这个自昨天关门后就一直惦记着的“魔法王国”。这几个小时的玩耍不仅能让他们开心，还能在不知不觉中帮助他们通过活动加快康复。更重要的是他们可以暂时逃离病房、检查、医生和无聊的时光，小病人们只想痛痛快快地玩一会儿。

然而，很多时候，我们在下午2点到4点之间缺少志愿者，游戏室只能关着门。孩子们只能带着失落的眼神，悄悄回到病房。看到他们从兴奋到沮丧的表情变化，真的让人心疼……而这样的情景，每周都会发生好几次。
我们需要你！

加入我们的游戏室志愿者行列吧！这并不复杂，也不需要任何特殊技能，却能带来满满的成就感。你的到来，会让孩子们的笑容更灿烂、康复更顺利。 每天抽出几个小时，陪他们一起度过美好时光——你和他们都会觉得，这是一次值得的相遇。
现在就登录 www.h2hsh.com 报名参加培训，开启你的游戏室志愿之旅。为了孩子们，一起行动吧！

我是Betty， 一位瑜伽老师。 几个月前，一位朋友邀请我来心连心帮忙。

在这里，我了解了这个团体在社会中的意义：
我们负责把好心人捐给我们的东西，分类，新的就拿去益卖，善款去帮助那些有心脏病的孩子们。旧的，我们也会寻找可以用的部分，再次利用，做成帆布袋或者小熊的衣服，再次销售.

我辗转了不同的部门，去了解我们的团队，我们并不认识彼此，但在工作的时候，又都非常有默契，这样默契可能也是心连心的缘故吧，有一股强大的力量在吸引着我，莫名的感觉：我就是属于这个团队.

我留在了负责图书的部门，因为我们更相信知识的力量，我们坚信书可以改变人们的认知，从而改变他们的生活，知识可以给我们力量。我们将捐来的书分类，一部分，你们会送去医院，给那些等待手术或者在康复的孩子们，希望知识会抚慰他们幼小的心灵。还有一部分书，我们会再次售卖，售卖的善款去帮助那些需要帮助的孩子们！

人生路还很漫长，我想这件事，我会一直做下去，这是一件非常有意义的事情，这个意义不仅仅是帮助了那些需要帮助的孩子和他们的家庭，更在温暖着我们每一个人的心。就像中国的一句古话：赠人玫瑰，手有余香。

My name is Betty. I ‘m a Yoga teacher.  A few months ago, a friend invited me to volunteer at H2H to work for the kids who have heart problems.  I joined the assembly team.  One of the things we do is sort donated goods.  Some of donations go to the children/families we work with, some are reused to make bags/bear clothes/quilts and some are sold.    I love our team.  Although we didn’t know each other, we met here and work together.  I feel close to them.  I feel like I belong to this community.

In the end, I chose to be on the team that works with donated books.  We believe the books are able to change people’s lives – knowledge will give people power.  We separate the donated books.  Some books go the hospital for the children undergoing heart surgery; we hope the books nourish them.   Some books are sold and the money is used to sponsor children for heart surgery.

I think I will keep volunteering.  It’s worth it.  Not only do we nourish the kids and their families, but I also feel like the feeling comes back to me and I am nourished myself.

马雯珺Rita Ma，在健身行业深耕多年，对健康与活力有着自己的理解，拥有广泛的兴趣爱好，生活充实又多彩。

和心连心的缘分挺巧的。当初Rita跟着朋友去参加心连心在远大医院的志愿者活动，本来就是试试，没成想和这个温暖的组织越走越近。刚加入时，她对编织是压根不会。但她没打退堂鼓，从零学起，一针一线慢慢练，凭着股劲儿，从生疏到熟练，就这么坚持了下来。

如今的Rita，早已是心连心编织小组里的“巧手担当”。她最擅长的，是为小熊打造各式精致服饰，针脚细密、剪裁精巧，每一件都藏着巧思与温度。两次艺连心慈善艺术展上，她的作品尤其亮眼——京剧主题系列，她为小熊编织了京剧经典人物“穆桂英”的戏服，翎子挺拔、靠旗鲜明，连衣襟上的纹样都透着传统戏曲的韵味；摇滚系列则致敬猫王、麦当娜等标志性人物的经典造型，用毛线还原出特色服饰，让小熊染上别样的活力与个性。这些穿戴着特色服饰的小熊，不仅成了义卖台上的“抢手货”，更像一个个会传递温暖的小使者，把她的心意悄悄送到孩子们身边。

Rita还积极投身于公司和机构组织的编织教学活动中。从最基础的针法教起，耐心细致地指导每一位学员。即便是零基础的新手，也能逐步掌握编织技巧，最终完成爱心作品。她总是说：“编织不只是手艺，更是心的交流。”

除了专注编织，Rita也常参与义卖等活动，亲手将这些带着心意的作品送到更多人手中，让爱心流转。在心连心这个零成本运营的志愿机构里，她深深体会到“为爱发电”的力量：大家凭着一腔热忱聚在一起，不计回报地为公益付出，这份纯粹的善意让她格外触动。对Rita来说，每一针每一线都是与孩子们的温柔联结，而在编织中收获的成长与快乐，也成了她坚持下去的满满动力。

Rita Ma has been deeply involved in the fitness industry for many years, has her own understanding of health and vitality, and possesses a wide range of interests and hobbies, making her life fulfilling and colorful.

Her connection with Heart to Heart is quite coincidental. Initially, Rita attended a volunteer event at the Yuanda Hospital with a friend just to give it a try.  She didn’t expect to find a welcoming organization. When she first joined, she had no experience with knitting at all. However, she did not back down; she started from scratch, slowly practicing stitch by stitch, and with determination, she persevered from being a novice to becoming a proficient knitter.

Today, Rita has become an expert on the H2H knitting team.  Her specialty is creating a variety of exquisite outfits for the heart bears with fine stitches and meticulous cuts.  Each piece is made from thoughtful designs and warmth. At the last two Art for Heart exhibitions, her works stood out – especially the Peking Opera-themed series where she crafted costumes for the classic character “Mu Guiying”.  It featured upright feathers, distinct flags and patterns revealed the charm of traditional opera. In her rock n’roll series she paid homage to iconic figures like Elvis Presley and Madonna by recreating their classic looks with yarn.  Her knitted bears dressed in distinctive outfits because “hot commodities” at the Art for Hearts exhibition and conveyed her heartfelt wishes to the children.

Rita is also actively involved in the H2H knitting classes that are given to companies, schools and social groups.  She starts by teaching the most basic stitches and patiently guides each student. Even complete novices can gradually master knitting skills and ultimately complete amazing creations. She always says, ‘Knitting is not just a craft, but a conversation of the heart.’

In addition to focusing on knitting, Rita often participates in H2H markets and other activities which allows her amazing creations and love to circulate to the public.  Within H2H she deeply experiences the power of ‘generating energy for love’.  That H2H operates at no cost and volunteers gather together with passion and selflessly contribute to public welfare deeply moves her. For Rita, every stitch is a gentle connection with the sponsored children.  The growth and joy gained from knitting have become her strong motivation to keep going.

This is a letter we received from the Tibetan group leader (20 children)…..  We were as touched by them as they were by us!

I am filled with boundless gratitude, and on behalf of this group of patients, I want to express my sincere thanks to you for coming with enthusiasm and love to visit and comfort the patients during their stay in the hospital, as well as for the gifts you have distributed—all of which have made us feel the warmth and care of the society as a whole, and we are deeply touched by it; on behalf of the children, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you!

这是一封我们收到的来自西藏团队领队的来信……他们被我们感动，就像我们被他们感动一样！

我怀着无比感恩的心情，我代表这一批患儿们，您在带着热情与爱心而来对患儿们在住院期间不停地看望和慰问发放礼品等，让我们感受到了社会大家庭的温暖与关怀也很感动，我代表孩子们对您们表示衷心的感谢！

Tuesday, September 2         9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, September 9         9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, September 16       9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, September 23       9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, September 30       9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, October 7              CLOSED
Tuesday, October 14            9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, October 21            9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, October 28            9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, Nov. 4                    9:30 – 12:30
Tuesday, Nov 11                   9:30 –  12:30

Address: 徐汇区龙漕路218号远大心胸医院3FL 
(Sandra at 13761936207 on Sept 2 & Juliana at 18221187714 beginning Sept 9)

  Upcoming Assembly Dates – Yida Hospital (Qingpu     District):

Thursday, September 4         11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, September 11       11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, September 18       11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, September 25       11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, October 2                 CLOSED
Thursday, October 9              11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, October 16            11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, October 23            11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, October 30            11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, November 6          11:00 – 16:00
Thursday, November 13        11:00 – 16:00

Address: 上海市青浦区徐泾镇倪家角路39号
(Karen 13916295852 until October
– Allan 15900864640 October 9 & 16
– Karen from October 23 onwards)

New Playroom Volunteers
Anoushka Durham
Chen Jiayi
Fu Hanfei
Irina Bordbar
Jonathan Hartmann
Julian Andrew Lee
Kevin Yang
Lynne Els
Niyya Ouartassi
ShengWen Pao
Shitong Huang
Sophie Chan
Sun Yi Cheng
Wu Siyu
Xu Ivy

New Assembly Volunteers
Anoushka Durham
Calvin Chen
Carolne Lu
Irina Bordbar
Jonathan Hartmann
Kevin Yang
Niyya Ouartassi
Rashmi YS Lee
Xu Ivy

New Events Volunteers
Calvin Chen
Caroline Lu
Chen Jiayi
Irina Bordbar
Jonathan Hartmann
Kevin Yang
Lynne Els
Niyya Ouartassi
Rashmi YS Lee
Shitong Huang
Xu Ivy

New Knitting and Sewing Volunteers
Calvin Chen
Irina Bordbar
Rashmi YS Lee
Xu Ivy

New Manager Team
Di Wu

Contact Us! 
General Information:  Karen Carrington   (infoh2h@rendefoundation.org)
Admin Team:  Karen Carrington
Annual Report:  Mei Kang
Assembly Manager (Yuanda Hospital):  Juliana Zeiske
Assembly Team Backups:  Mary Isobel, Sandra Powley
Assembly Manager (Yida Hospital):  Allan McDean
Book Sales:  Mary Isobel and Mei Kang
Chinese Language Communication Team:  Di Wu, Ella Liu, Freya Pan, Jie Huang, Lusia Lu, Mei Kang, Rose Ding
CSR and Group Volunteering Coordinator:  Lusia Lu
CSR and Group Volunteering Team:  Juliana Zeiske (Yuanda) & Allan McDean & Di Wu (Yida)
Events Manager:  Lyn Wy
Events Team Management Backup/Assistant:  Kris Wang and Lusia Lu
Executive Director:  Karen Carrington (execdirectorh2h@rendefoundation.org)
Field Trips:  Karen Carrington & Nancy Kong
Finance Team:  Jac Wang, Karen Carrington
Heart Bear Order Manager:  Juliana Zeiske
Knitting Manager:  Sophia Luo
Knitting Manager Backup:  Helen Anderson
Media and Marketing Manager:  Lusia Lu
New Volunteer Applications:  Patricia Prado
Newsletter Editor:  Debra Carter
Newsletter Proofreader:  Karen Carrington
On-line Projects Manager:  Nancy Kong
On-line Sales:  Alicia, Anita, Ceci, Celine, Debbie, Deirdre, May, Poi & Rebecca
Playroom Manager:   Jessie Yao
Playroom Backup:  Karen Carrington
Processes & Procedures:  Rina Mybourg
Project Management:  Jordan Zhou and Ming Zhou
Sewing Team Manager:  Rina Mybourg
Sponsorship & Hospital Visits:  Karen Carrington
Webmasters:  Eric Wang (database), Jung-wo Lee (website) & Karen Carrington (content)
Website pictures (remote):  Lenel Roux
WeChat Account Manager:  Mei Kang

Visit Us at an Event

Donate Goods
Donate New or Gently Used Goods
Clothing, toys, toiletries, books, company swag – as long as it is not electronic or breakable, we will find a use for it.  Please contact infoh2h@rendefoundation.org.

Donate Your Time
Help out in our hospital playroom, join an assembly session, schedule a special group volunteering session for you and your coworkers, knit or sew bear clothes at home or with friends.  There are countless opportunities.  We definitely need your help!

Tell Your Friends About Us
Talk to a volunteer at an event and pass on the information. Bring a friend to a volunteer session. Enlist your friends from home to make a donation (contact our executive director to find out how you can make this happen).

Sign up to volunteer on our website.  Feel free to pass along the information to friends who may want to get involved.