When Pai Wang couldn't find friends to hang out and play cards with, he set up a Website to solve the problem. When he became bored playing cards and hanging out, he changed the site to encourage others to join him in weekly charity activities.

Now he and the friends he has made online spend their weekends visiting lonely seniors in nursing homes, and helping out disabled children.

The 32-year-old computer engineer set up a website last September, and began organizing charity activities at the end of last year. The site has attracted around 500 members to date.

Members can find information on the site about upcoming charity activities and sign up if they are interested in.

"The most common places we visit are homes for the aged and schools for retarded children," Pai said.

Good deeds

"I got the idea to set up my Website after I found many young people like me don't have a lot to do in their spare time," Pai recalled. "Former classmates, friends and colleagues are not always available when you want to do something with them."

With the Website, people can find others with similar interests to have dinner, travel together and do good deeds.

Pai said his original plan was simply to help people find new friends, not to engage in charity.

"But later I found eating and playing cards every week was not meaningful enough," Pai said, explaining why he changed the site.

"I will put the time, place and the theme of this week's charity activity online. Members visit my Website often, and if they are free that day and have interest, they will leave a message to me to sign up."

He says about 20 members attend each activity on average.

The site is still about more than charity, Pai also uses it to set up backpacking outings.

Among all the members, there are accountants, designers, office workers and engineers.

Pai's future plan is to visit abandoned children and encourage members to donate money to children in western areas of the country who are forced to quit their studies.

(Shanghai Daily March 27, 2006)