Day to celebrate city's charity supermarkets
The charity supermarket of the Bund sub-district sells a wide range of products.
Shanghai has more than 200 charity supermarkets covering all sub-districts and towns citywide, the city's civil affairs authorities announced on Sunday.
The nation's first charity supermarket selling items donated by the public opened in 2003 in Shanghai.
"The development of Shanghai's charity supermarkets has achieved much progress since then and has become an important name card of Shanghai's philanthropic causes," said Zhu Qinhao, director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.
A map of the city's charity markets was released on the bureau's website for residents' involvement on Sunday.
September 5 is celebrated as China Charity Day.
A consumer shops at the supermarket on Sunday.
Yu Liying arranges clothing.
By the end of last year, the city had 233 charity markets, covering all 214 sub-districts and towns, according to the bureau.
They have played an active role in collecting fund and items to aid the needy and also benefiting residents at the same time, said Zhu.
The charity store of the Bund sub-district in Huangpu District opened last year and it now sells about 4,000 types of products.
These are items such as books and clothing donated by residents and companies and they also include handmade souvenirs such as sachets and paper cut works made by the disabled.
The store has more than 100 volunteers who are mostly students and white collar workers.
It has received more than 3,000 items donated by individuals and over 64,000 items from companies.
Its sales volume has hit nearly 500,000 yuan.
Yu Liying, a 36-year-old white collar worker working in the Pudong New Area, started serving as a volunteer at the store in July.
She spares one day every week.
"I passed by the store once by coincidence and l was attracted by its development concept," said Yu.
"It serves like a bridge between companies and consumers with a loving heart.
"We have many loyal consumers who visit here regularly to shop for updated products and help the needy at the same time.
Shopping for umbrellas.
The charity supermarket.
The supermarket also provides jobs for the disabled.
An employee surnamed Liu, 22, works the cash register at the store.
She suffers from cerebral glioma.
"I tried to look for a part time job several times in the past, but was all refused by companies," she said. "My dad died more than 10 years ago and my mom works hard to support me. I want to relieve her pressure via working."
