As spring approaches, the hearts of POSCO people are warmed as well. Not just because of the season but because “my little charity” planted in the winter has begun to bud!
“Due to COVID-19, outside activities are limited, and meeting parents or siblings is also impossible. So, the frustration that people with disabilities face is actually much more severe than one might expect. We at Help Center House of Joy help the rehabilitation of disabled people. As part of this, we were planning a hike to Bongjwa Mountain to relieve the stress of our members and we finally went on a warm and safe hike through donations from donors. When we reached the top, we cheered. And, as we hiked the winter mountain wearing nice down jackets and safe hiking boots, we looked like athletes training before a game. We were thrilled to see our members of Help Center House of Joy with such wonderful appearances.” <Pohang Help Center House of Joy>
“Our center is located in Okgok-myeon, Gwangyang, and we are currently caring for 29 children. The most important thing we do is to provide meals, and with the donation, we bought a new refrigerator and oven to provide fresher meals to the children. We will try our best to take care of the children remembering the support from the donors so that they can grow up healthy and strong.” <Gwangyang Okgok Community Children’s Center>
These are letters from organizations that have received donations through “My Little Charity” by POSCO employees.
l 1% My Little Charity – 26,000 POSCO Employees Participating Online Due to COVID-19
“1% My Little Charity” is an online donation program designed for POSCO employees participating in POSCO 1% Sharing activities in December 2020. Through the program, employees could choose and sponsor their own charities. It was run in collaboration with Naver Happy Bean, a portal site for online donation.
POSCO received recommendations from employees regarding which charities were thought to need the donations and selected them following the screening. The targets were non-governmental organizations that carry out public services such as for future generations, multicultural families, the disabled, and arts.
150 charities were selected, and 26,000 employees participated in total. The overall donation amounted to 840 million KRW.
All donations made were delivered in January this year, and each organization executes them according to their needs. As of present, the charities are being administered in full swing.
l Charities that POSCO Employees Chose to Share with, According to 1% My Little Challenge
Where did POSCO employees reach out the most?
Looking at the participation in 150 charities, it turns out that the largest number of POSCO employees chose to donate for children and adolescents. This was followed by support for disabled persons, multicultural families, the environment, and overseas to help children of least developed countries.
362 people participated in the “Please Fill in the Absence of Mothers” project, which supports children with disabilities, and 6.7 million KRW was collected on the first day alone. 1,044 employees donated 19 million KRW in the “Lonely Death of the Elderly Living Alone” project.
Other charity projects included, “Please Support the Dream of a Future Performer,” “Embracing the Minds of Children and Adolescents,” “Ethical Consumption & Meal Support to Overcome COVID-19,” “Infinite Challenge of Visually Impaired Bakers,” “Be the Wings of Sick Immigrant Workers,” “Teaching the Mother Tongue to Korean Diasporas,” “Hoping For a Clean Ocean Without Any Waste,” “Fine Dust Zero Campaign You Can Learn Yourself,” and “Please Support Us to Become Wonderful Farmers”.
“It is not how much we give, but how much love is put in the giving.”
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
These are some quotes from Mother Teresa. It shows that many little touches of warmth matter more than the donation size when sharing with our neighbors in need. Just as the many drops of water meet and form the ocean.
“1% My Little Challenge” was promoted as one of the direct participation programs for POSCO 1% Sharing. In 2011, POSCO 1% Sharing commenced with general managers and executives donating 1% of their salaries. In 2013, POSCO established the POSCO 1% Foundation and expanded to other group companies and partner companies. Last year alone, the Foundation raised about 10.7 billion KRW with over 35,090 employees participating.
As the number of donors increased, it naturally grew in size, but this year, the “wave of hope” is expected to grow even larger.