Shenzhen Charity Month kicks off to promote philanthropy

Writer: Zhang Yu  |  Editor: Holly Wang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-09-07

An installation is set up at Shenzhen Covention and Exhibition Center in Futian District in preparation for the 8th China Charity Day, which kicks off Sept. 18. DT News

A monthlong calendar of charity-related activities will be staged across the city this month to enhance charity awareness and enthusiasm for doing charity work among the public, as September has been declared Shenzhen Charity Month.

A ceremony that celebrated the launch of the activities was held at the central square of the One Avenue shopping mall in Futian District on Saturday, which marked the 5th Chinese Charity Day as well as the Shenzhen Charity Day.

With the consent of the city government, the date of Shenzhen Charity Day and Shenzhen Charity Month has been adjusted from June 30 to Sept. 5 and from July to September, respectively, starting this year.

The serial activities of Shenzhen Charity Day and Shenzhen Charity Month are themed “Winning the battle against poverty; Assisting epidemic prevention and control.”

Zhang Simin, president of Shenzhen Charity Alliance, said at the ceremony that philanthropy is becoming a prevailing custom and lifestyle in Shenzhen.

Zhang called on charitable organizations, enterprises and citizens to actively partake in the activities launched on the Chinese Charity Day and Shenzhen Charity Day, during the Shenzhen Charity Month and the 8th China Charity Fair, and those related to Tencent’s 99 Giving Day, a fund-raising event that lasts from Sept. 7 to 9 each year.

The 8th China Charity Fair will take place at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from Sept. 18 to 20.

Guo Yunxia, vice president and secretary general of Shenzhen China Charity Fair Development Center, announced a recruitment drive to encourage teenagers to embark on a journey of poverty alleviation through charity work in the charity fair.

An open-air fair, which involved 42 charitable organizations and enterprises, was also held at the venue of the ceremony Saturday.

The fair aimed to publicize and display key projects of the 8th China Charity Fair and Tencent’s 99 Giving Day, and to provide participatory and interactive activities and services for citizens.

“We’ve taken part in many activities of the Shenzhen Charity Month every year. It’s a good platform for us to reach out to citizens and help people gain a better understanding of what we are doing and join us in supporting people with autism,” Chen Meihua, project manager of Shenzhen Autism Society, told Shenzhen Daily.

The society set up a booth at the fair, selling paintings, postcards, canvas bags and different types of knickknacks jointly made by autistic children and the society’s staff. The money raised will go to a project that provides employment service for mentally challenged people, said Chen.

Themed “Winning the battle against poverty, Assisting epidemic prevention and control,” the serial activities of Shenzhen Charity Day and Shenzhen Charity Month are hosted by Shenzhen Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, and organized by Shenzhen Charity Alliance, Shenzhen Charity Federation, Shenzhen Project Care Foundation and Shenzhen China Charity Fair Development Center.