The Beijing Municipal Community Service Center is encouraging laid off workers to take care of families that are short of household services during the upcoming Spring Festival period.

The Beijing Municipal government will pay RMB10 per hour for the services they provide to the families of "model workers", widowed senior citizens, or seriously disabled persons.

Chinese Spring Festival has always been a special period of the year when household services are in great demand. Families need to prepare their homes for the arrival of relatives and cook many large meals. The municipal community service center says it will continue to rely on its 96156 telephone hotline to encourage Beijing citizens, particularly those unemployed, to contribute to the welfare of society and provide service for those families.

Service cards have been made and will be sent to qualified families in Beijing's Xuanwu District. The families can then dial 96156 to apply for cleaning services, repair services and other jobs around their homes according to the value of the card. The services offered will be charged at RMB10 per hour which will be paid by the street community where the family is located.

A representative from Beijing Municipal Community Service Center says that they will check out the identity of applicants who sign up for the service and arrange qualified persons to go to help those families in need. With a growing number of unemployed workers, this program will hopefully add more holiday spirit to everyone involved.