Six government organizations across Shanghai have established a 100.6 million yuan ($15 million) fund to support seniors and other needy people as the end of the year draws closer and the Lunar New Year, the country’s most important holiday, just over a month away.
The Shanghai Charity Foundation has launched its "Greatest Love Under Blue Sky" campaign which will send gifts and offer monetary support to nearly 100,000 people in need such as the elderly, the disabled, and those from low-income families, according to a report by Shanghai Daily.
Approximately 300 charity events and programs will be held in Shanghai under the campaign with the goal of raising donations, holding charity bazaars and raising awareness for people in need over the next 35 days, the report said.
To date, the foundation has pooled in a total of 78.5 million yuan, with the Shanghai Senior Citizens Foundation, the Shanghai Branch of the Red Cross Society of China and Shanghai Foundation for Disabled Persons pitching in 12.4 million yuan, 5 million yuan and 1.7 million yuan, respectively.
The campaign will culminate with a one-day fundraiser wherein thousands of volunteers will go out and ask people for donations on the streets. Several of Shanghai's districts including Huangpu, Xuhui and Qingpu have already announced Jan. 23 as the start of the fundraiser in their respective areas.
Starting on Saturday, people can donate on specific programs of the Shanghai Charity Foundation through its official WeChat account. The foundation said it had previously raised 211 million yuan in cash and objects valued at 2.4 million yuan in 2014.