The Zhongshan Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has held a meeting at Dongsheng Town Charity Supermarket, asking the supermarket to be popularized in the coming one to two years to provide a new salvation platform for the needy.

Dongsheng Charity Supermarket, the first of its kind in Zhongshan city, was set up at the end of March 2007 to provide services to more than 1100 poverty-stricken families. At these supermarkets, daily necessities donated by residents are exchanged with convertible vouchers especially produced for needy families.

In the half month after the foundation of this charity supermarket, another two charity supermarkets were opened in Henglan town and Gangkou town. ZMCAB said that the three charity supermarkets are all working smoothly right now and they have brought good social changes.

However, due to the public's lack of understanding of the function of the charity supermarkets and insufficient donations, the three supermarkets which are mainly funded by the government, only benefit a small group of people and the relief standard is quite low. It is expected with the increase of social donations, the salvation standard will be raised.