A total of 180 "charity supermarkets" and 3,200 donation sites will be set up by the end of the year, Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said yesterday. The products at the "charity supermarkets" are donations, which are sold at low prices. The Shanghai Charity Foundation issues coupons to the needy people, who can buy goods at the outlets using the coupons.
The bureau has invested nearly 20 million yuan (US$3.2 million) to support local charity programs, providing all kinds of help for the aged, the disabled, the impoverished and the adolescents. There are 13,138 social organizations, 2.15 million volunteers and 15,500 volunteer organizations registered in Shanghai, carrying out charity programs in the city.
