As the Spring Festival is drawing near, trade unions at various levels in China will send relief to the poor families.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is to invest 35 million yuan, or US$4.2 million in the project, and 15 teams will be sent to help the poverty-stricken all over the country. .

The custom of sending help to the destitute at spring festival time started in the mid 1990s when 5,500 households have benefited from the 18 billion yuan, or US$2.2 billion, raised.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2005)