Feel like giving back to the community, but never have the time? BEAN makes it easy with their fun charity events happening around Shanghai. We caught up with BEAN Projects Director Albert Chang to find out how he got involved and what events they've got coming up over the holiday season.

How long have you been here?
I moved to Shanghai from LA in February ’09 after falling in love with this amazing city while on holiday two months before.

How’d you get started with BEAN?
I love helping people, so BEAN, a volunteering and social club, was a natural fit. We work with migrant schools, orphanages, disabled adults and animal shelters. There are also monthly networking nights and at least one activity per month that brings our members closer to Chinese language and culture. I just kept showing up to events and helping out and was eventually asked to serve as projects director and the vice president of social organization. One of the things I really like about BEAN is that there’s no time, money or language requirement to join. We understand that everyone is busy, so whatever amount of time you can give is very much appreciated by the people we help.

Who are BEAN’s members?
Someone who has lived in Shanghai long enough to be bored by the same old clubs, bars and restaurants, and is looking to connect with like-minded people through volunteer activities. They’re often people who feel that, having reaped the rewards of living here, it’s now time to give back.

What’s coming up?
On Friday, December 10, BEAN is celebrating Festivus. Bonus points for quoting the Costanzas verbatim. On the 11th, we have our monthly art and English program at our adopted migrant school. The 13th is networking night at Rhumerie Bounty in Jing’an, where we’ll be collecting men’s winter clothing for a Suzhou Creek homeless shelter.

Want to get involved? Head to the BEAN website for more details or send an email to: beanshanghai@gmail.com.