IF you have a problem with your plumbing, an ache in your ankle or even a lingering lawsuit, then don't miss the chance to talk to an expert about it when the Community Convenience Bus pulls in to a neighborhood near yours next week.

To mark International Volunteer Day, which falls on December 5, scores of specialists in everything from medicine and the law, to fixing home appliances, will travel aboard the bus dispensing advice and practical help to anyone who needs it.

Scheduled ports of call, among many others, include the Yichuan area of Putuo District, Wujiaochang Town in Yangpu, Haiwan Town in Fengxian and the Linfen neighborhood in Jing'an District.

The community visits are part of a weeklong — Monday to Friday — event organized by the Shanghai Volunteers Foundation, which will also include clinics and advice sessions at hospitals, schools and shopping centers.

On Wednesday, for example, doctors from Shanghai No. 8 People's Hospital will visit several construction sites in Xuhui District to provide free health consultations to migrant workers.

Similarly, on Thursday morning, social workers from the Guangzhong neighborhood will give lessons in the Shanghai dialect to pupils at Liuying Road Elementary School, most of whom are from out of town.

According to an official report released yesterday, as of the end of last month Shanghai — a city of 24 million people — had more than 1.8 million registered volunteers.

The Shanghai Volunteer Association has been involved in more than 50,000 separate programs this year, of which about 4,000 are still active and detailed on its website at volunteer.sh.cn.

While the vast majority of the programs are fueled by the milk of human kindness, the city government is also expected to provide 2.3 million yuan (US$360,000) in funding for 130 high-profile schemes next year, the foundation said.

These will cover everything from providing support for people with HIV/AIDS, cerebral palsy and drug problems to promoting good manners among tourists, it said.