A HOMELESS garbage recycler who donated 4,000 yuan (US$607) to charity in two years has had his story published in a local newspaper.
Li Yun, who collects recyclables, lives in temporary accommodation at a construction site in Futian District. He started making donations to the Shenzhen Charity Association in 2008, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.
I did not think it was such a big thing. I just want to help dropout students go back to school so they can live a better life than me, said Li, 35, a native of Chongqing.
Li came to Shenzhen in 1998 after serving in the Army for three years but was unable to find permanent employment. He lived on vacant land near Huanggang Park for several years before the land became a construction site and supported himself by collecting recyclables and working at the construction site, making about 1,000 yuan a month.
Workers at the construction site were very nice to me. They built a temporary house for me and offered me meals. In return, I did some work for them, said Li, who lives at the site with several adopted dogs.
Li is a really nice man, always ready to help others. It is cold these days, so he gave away his only two quilts to two homeless old women living near us, said Wu Wentao, a builder who called the newspaper after reading the paper s story looking for Li.
Li caught public attention when his name was placed on a list for the city s 2nd Charity Award. Many people asked about him, but we could not provide any information because we only had his name, said Fang Tao, general secretary of the Shenzhen Charity Association.
According to the association, Li was childless and had an elderly mother to support back home. Between Sept. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2010, he made 4,005-yuan donations. Although it was not a lot of money, it was from his income by collecting and selling recyclable garbage. It is very moving and inspiring, Fang said.
An association staff member surnamed Xu told the newspaper that Li usually donated about 100 yuan each time and the biggest sum was 600 yuan. He comes at least two or three times a month in very shabby clothes and all his money is in small notes. Several times, security guards thought he came to us for help. Once I said why not use the money to make a better life for yourself, but he said he liked it this way, Xu said.
Li wanted to help poor children go back to school. I am a primary school graduate and suffered many difficulties because of my lack of education, so I am very concerned about children s education. I hope all children have a chance to study and live a better life, he said.
Li s biggest hope was to find a girlfriend and get married. I want to have a family and return home after I make more money, he said.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
