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Who We Are
Organization overview
LifeLine Shanghai is a public-benefit, non-profit organization offering free, confidential, and anonymous information and emotional support. Launched in 2004, our telephone helpline provides Shanghai's international community with easy access to effective support, crisis intervention, and information.
Additionally, LifeLine Shanghai offers the YouthLink program, community workshops, corporate training,and CollegeLink program.
Vision
The vision of LifeLine Shanghai as an international non-profit organization that is empowered to support itself and other members of the community.
Mission
The mission of LifeLine Shanghai is to foster well-being and resilience among Shanghai's international community.
Statement of Values
- We believe that people have the ability to find their own solutions and must make their own decisions; our role is to support them in accessing to the necessary resources.
- We value the privacy of our clients and pledge to maintain the confidentiality of the information they provide to us and, when served by telephone, and their anonymity.
- We value collaboration with individuals, other organizations, and companies and the synergy it brings to all.
- We value and abide by the LifeLine International Code of Ethics.
- We value best practice and are dedicated to continuous improvement.
LifeLine Shanghai Code of Ethics
Back to topLifeLine Shanghai Organizational Structure
Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors are representative of the expatriate community in Shanghai.
LifeLine Shanghai's Executive Director also serves as an ex-officio member of the Board.
Back to topBoard Members
Marianne Black, B.A. - Chairwoman of the Board
Marianne has lived in Shanghai since August 2004 and has been in Asia since 2001. Marianne trained as a lawyer in the UK and is qualified to practise in England & Wales and Hong Kong. She now manages the China offices of a British law firm which involves training, development, recruitment, business development and strategy. Marianne has been involving in some type of volunteering for a number of years. She has worked in Calcutta (India) doing relief work and teaching, in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) doing fund raising for a British educational charity and in Hong Kong providing free legal advice to domestic helpers. She also manages the China pro bono projects for her current employer.
Angus Peacock MCIL - Chairman of the Board
Angus has lived in China since 2002 working as a Business Manager in Nanjing, Shanghai and Zhengzhou. Additionally Angus has travelled extensively throughout China for business and leisure purposes developing a sound understanding of modern Chinese culture. He has also worked primarily in service sectors including professional periods in Canada, Latin America, England and France. Today, in addition to Lifeline roles, Angus, who is a qualified linguist, also manages a performance management business.
Jerry Joseph, CPA - Treasurer
Gerry is a British Citizen who has spent most of his career working in multicultural environments. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers London, Gerry moved into the consulting field working on various assignments in New York, Istanbul, France, Belgium and finally spending 5 years in Germany developing a global accounting model within SAP and rolling it out into an Accounting shared service centre for Europe. In 2003 Gerry moved to Hong Kong to build up a project and support organization for internal SAP services for a major multinational pharmaceutical and chemical Group. Gerry moved to Shanghai in 2008 to take up a new role as Accounting and Reporting head for China.
Meika (MK) Chin
MK is the most talked about and most recommended midwife in Shanghai. She's currently employed by Shanghai United Family Hospital in Hongqiao and has delivered more expat babies in Shanghai than any other midwife in the city. Additionally, MK has experience working with troubled teens in the Bronx, NY, and currently continues her work with young people by guest teaching health education classes at several international schools in Shanghai.
Trine Pless-Rasmussen
Trine is Danish and moved to Shanghai with her Swiss partner in September 2008. Trine grew up in Denmark but has lived and traveled to many countries. Because of this, she has a good understanding of international living and culture differences. Trine is fluent in English, German and Danish. She spent a year in Scotland and around ten years in different parts of Switzerland. Trine has studied at both Glasgow University and Zurich University, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northcentral University, completed her Master of Science in General Psychology from Walden University. Trine is currently working on her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Walden. Besides studying, Trine has worked in several social organizations and in international companies, mainly in Denmark and Switzerland, and with different groups of people (children, youth, dying, blind, drug addicts etc). In Shanghai, Trine is working for the Global Health Clinic as a counselor and is a part-time lecturer in psychology at the Shanghai Normal University.
Kate Lorenz
Kate Lorenz in British and has been an expatriate her entire life. She grew up in Africa and the Middle-East, living in the UK for the first time when attending Warwick University to study History and Politics. Kate’s background is in sales and customer service, with the majority of her work experience being in the property sector. She has lived in Shanghai for over 7 years and during that time co-foundered Ark International – a leading expert in destination services in Shanghai and throughout China – which she continues to manage.
David Atnip
In China since 2003, David is an American lawyer with 20+ years of legal practice experience. Prior to moving to Shanghai, David engaged in the private practice of law in the State of Texas, USA. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Baylor School of Law and completed a full time MBA degree from the University of Toronto. Along with his childhood in Zimbabwe, he's also avid traveler and traveled to more than 50 countries which has given him a unique International perspective. Currently, as the managing director, he leads his team at LawInn, a service provider to law firms and in-house legal divisions of commercial enterprises.
Kim Grabowy - Volunteer Representative
Kim is Canadian/American and moved to Shanghai with her husband in September 2007. Kim grew up in Canada but since the early 1990’s has lived in both Canada and the United States until her recent move to China. Kim earned her Bachelor of Sociology at the University of Ottawa and Paralegal Degree at De Anza College in San Jose, California. After graduation, Kim concentrated on volunteering with various Non-Profit Organizations including Sacred Heart Community Services in San Jose, CA; acting as court liaison at Elmwood Prison in San Jose, CA along with volunteering with various other groups.
Consultant to the Board - Dr Hu Li Qun
Dr. Hu received B.A. in the language and literature from Fudan University, Shanghai. She then completed a Master's degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University as well as doctoral degree in clinical psychology from California School of Professional Psychology, both in Los Angeles, United States. Dr. Hu is a U.S. licensed psychologist with over 14 years of direct clinical service delivery in diverse settings. Dr.Hu worked as a journalist for a major newspaper in Beijing before going to U.S. Dr. Hu has been active in volunteer activities.
Back to topLifeLine Shanghai Staff
LifeLine Shanghai is run by the administrative team which includes (but not limited to):
Lystia Putranto – Executive Director
Lystia has been living and working in Shanghai since January 2007. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, She was living in New York City prior to her move to Shanghai. She grew up as an expatriate kid and had lived in and traveled to different cities and countries around the world. Lystia has a degree in high honors for Marketing-Management as well as Economics and previously held positions as a Marketing Manager in a human resource firm and Director of Relations in a law firm. With a passion for giving back to the community, alongside with her work at LifeLine, Lystia is also the VP Marketing & Memberships at BEAN Shanghai, a volunteering/networking/social organization.
Kim Oliver Smyla – Program Manager
Kim Oliver was born in Bremen, Germany. He graduated from the University of Bremen in Spring 09 with a master degree in business. He has been a private teacher for more than 3 years in Germany. He has taught German, English, Spanish and Business. He arrived in Shanghai in June 09 and in addition to working for LifeLine, he also teaches private students and in a kindergarten. Kim started his work with non-profit organizations through his civilian service (Zivildienst) where he worked with disabled children and adults.
Hu XiaoTing- Program Manager
Ting was born and raised in Shanghai. She has worked in different industries before and now enjoys her time very much at NGO/NPOs. Her hobbies are: travelling, reading, cooking, Chinese medicine, yoga and studying new languages.
Noah Wise - Development Manager
Noah is originally from Toronto, Canada, but has lived in Israel, Hong Kong, and Japan. His involvement with other non-profit organizations includes Out of the Cold (Toronto), Kefiada Summer Camp (Beit Shean), and the Won Tai Sin Community Centre (Kowloon). Noah successfully combines his F&B and technology backgrounds in his role as Development Manager. His hobbies include cooking, the outdoors, and long walks in the park. Additionally, he enjoys writing poetry in his free time when he thinks no one is watching.
Alexa Jacobs - Development Manager
Alexa was born in Miami Beach, Florida and has studied and lived in London, Florence, Mexico, and New York City. Before arriving to Shanghai in March 2008, Alexa worked as the Development Manager for an international children's charity in New York City and Miami. She has worked on medical missions for children suffering with facial deformities in hospitals in the Philippines and Bolivia. Now she is based in Shanghai and is studying Mandarin.
Monica Ha – Youth Link Mentor
Monica was born and spent most of her life in Brazil. She studied in five different cities since high school and is currently in Shanghai through New York University's study abroad program. This is the first time she is working with in non profit and she is very excited about it! Monica is fluent in English, Portuguese, Korean, Spanish and currently learning mandarin. In her spare time, she loves to watch movies, cook and knit.
Karissa Angeline Vargas - Marketing Assistant
Karissa was born and raised in New York and is in her Sophomore year at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. She is currently studying abroad in Shanghai at Fudan Universiy where she is accounting major with a minor in marketing. Karissa first became interested in non-profits through her sorority, Alpha Phi, whose philanthropy sponsors the cause for Heart Disease among women. In her spare time, she enjoys singing and watching theater performances.
Colette Senger - Accountant
Colette moved to Shanghai in September 2006 from the US. She has a Bachelor of Business degree and has spent her career working in the Human Resources field. She holds a CEBS and PHR certificates in the Human Resources area. Currently, she also serves on the Executive Committee for Shanghai Sunrise.