Authorities in Juyuan New Area, Jiading district of Shanghai announce the beginning of a charity project at a launch ceremony. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

A charity project has been announced recently at a launch ceremony in Juyuan New Area, Jiading district of Shanghai, local media reported on Jan 3.

The event was sponsored by the Shanghai Fuyuan Social Worker Institute (SFSWI), the first professional social worker institution in Jiading. A total of 100 community volunteers participated in the event.

Ten volunteers were awarded for their excellence and hard work at a charity project launch ceremony in Juyuan New Area, Jiading district of Shanghai. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

At the ceremony, ten volunteers were awarded for their excellence and hard work in charity programs. And 56 new volunteers obtained their letters of appointment. 14 local communities claimed to establish partnerships with Fuyuan for the charitable purpose. A training course was also launched for the participating volunteers to help them improve their services.

According to the organizers, the new project included 12 charity programs, which aimed to help the elderly, the differently abled, families with financial difficulties, and others. The programs are set to start operation soon and are expected to offer assistance to over 10,000 residents.

An expert gives a lecture to volunteers who participate in the charity project launch ceremony in Juyuan New Area, Jiading district of Shanghai, with the aim of improving their service skills. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

Local authorities explained that this charity project was in line with local government's plan to improve its community management via its cooperation with social organizations.

The SFSWI was launched on March 2010 by the Fudan University's School of Social Development and Public Policy, Jiading civil affairs bureau and Juyuan New Area. In the past five years, Fuyuan has run more than 30 charity projects and played an important role in improving community management and enhancing social harmony. It is estimated that nearly 220,000 locals benefited from its assistance and services.