The first Harmony Neighborhood Center in Jiading district due to open on April 1 is expected to offer comprehensive services to community residents, mainly the senior citizens.
The center is located at Gaochang road in downtown Jiading. The four-storey building was painted a sweet color of yellow and on the walls hung photographs and calligraphies created by community residents. There are daycare service room, canteen and other facilities where residents can dine, read and do some sports.
Gao Xinhai, a resident in Yinxing community near the Harmony Neighborhood Center, feels happy with the canteen. Gao lives alone and would not bother cooking at home. Now he had his lunch at the center’s canteen, where he only spends 7 yuan ($1.2) for four dishes and one soup.
Since the canteen opened for trial run in early March, more than 150 senior citizens have registered to have lunch here, according to Chen Jianhua, who is responsible for running the center.
Chen said the center mainly serves senior citizen, which account for more than 30 percent of the population in the community. In the future, the center will offer residents other services including massage, haircut, laundry, book lending and spaces for exercises and practicing calligraphy.
Besides, the center also houses 14 social organizations that will regularly hold events, give lectures on healthcare and help solve family disputes. In the long run, the Jiading district will establish three more Harmony Neighborhood Centers, ensuring the senior citizens to enjoy the services within 15 minutes' walk.