Pingtan's first charitable supermarket, located at the Xinxinmingjun Residence on Cuiyuan North Road, opened to public on Oct 27. Poverty-stricken families or severely disable residents of the city are eligible to receive daily necessities for free at the market daily.

"The charitable supermarket is a platform for us to care for the disadvantaged. Residents are welcomed to donate daily necessities or clothes to the market, and then those in need are able to get the donations for free," stated Weng Bin, director of the Department of Civil Affairs of the Pingtan Bureau of Social Services.

Residents can place donations on the special service counter in the supermarket’s lobby, and then the working staff assorts the donations in accordance with their categories.

It has been introduced that the goods price sold in the supermarket is 5-10 percent lower than the market price. Low-income families or disabled citizens can also apply for the supermarket's membership cards to get further discounts.

On opening day the supermarket freely distributed goods worth 160,000 yuan ($24,000), including 3,160 bags of rice, 3,180 bottles of soybean oil and 1,580 cartons of tissue.

Lin Ping, runner of the charitable supermarket, said "in addition to material support, we are also planning to offer the needy more emotional care."

He also said the supermarket can act as a commission agent to help farmers and fishers to sell their produce and aquatic products. Additionally, the supermarket intends to organize a voluntary service team to provide other services to the community such as taking care of children and the elderly.

Poverty-stricken families or severely disable residents of the city receives daily necessities for free on opening day of Pingtan's first charitable supermarket. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]