POSCO has held its annual community service tradition, the POSCO Global Volunteer Week, since 2010.  This year, from May 24 to 30, over 79,000 POSCO Group employees from 52 different countries, including Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

POSCO Group in Korea

In Korea, POSCO Group employees made home improvements for underprivileged neighborhoods, mentored local youth and had a blast painting wall murals.

In the nation’s capital of Seoul, POSCO employees cleaned up marine waste with the Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, and another group delivered freshly baked bread to the community’s elderly.

On May 30, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon and over 30 employees visited Myeongryundang of Sungkyunkwan Munmyo (a Confucian shrine), to repair and replace Korean traditional paper called Changhoji on windows and doors.

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited Munmyo, the main temple for Korean Confucianism located in Seoul, to help replace traditional Korean paper known as Changhoji

In the city of Pohang, POSCO’s volunteer groups visited Sangdo Middle School to conduct first aid and CPR training. Other volunteer groups in Gwangyang, another city in Korea where POSCO conducts business, launched a lunchbox delivery business to create jobs for the elderly and held classes for women for minority communities.

POSCO Group Across the Globe

POSCO subsidiaries in Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., also took part in Global Volunteer Week.

In Turkey, POSCO ASSAN TST employees opened a Korean culture school for local elementary school students in March. During Global Volunteer Week, Students got to try on traditional Korean clothing called hanbok and volunteers built a playground made out of recycled tires for the kindergarten students.   

POSCO-Vietnam carried out activities to improve the environment of the POSCO steel village and installed safety bars in the POSCO steel bridge. POSCO-VST employees visited local orphanages to deliver healthy meals and deftly handled some exterior painting.

In the U.S., employees at POSCO-America gathered to clean up Centennial Olympic Park. The Detroit office went to the local food bank to distribute food to underprivileged neighborhoods and the Houston office cleaned up the memorial parks in the neighborhood to contribute to their respective local communities.

As one of the world’s leading steelmakers, POSCO will continue its efforts to contribute to global sustainable development by not only developing eco-friendly technologies but also giving back to local communities.

With human influence, iron becomes a material of warmth, offering sustenance, shelter and safety. Here are a few ways how.

Fishing for a Solution: How an Iron Fish is Treating Anemia

Resource: http://www.luckyironfish.com/

Apart from being a useful material, iron is also an essential part of our daily diet.

Anemia, a condition in which there is a lack of red cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, often the result of an iron deficiency, can leave people feeling weak, cold and tired. It is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world, affecting approximately 2 billion people globally.

Despite a significant international effort to fortify food staples and to provide iron supplementation programs specifically aimed at vulnerable populations, iron deficiency continues to increase worldwide.

But that may change soon, thanks to a solution created by a group of Canadian health workers in Cambodia.

In 2008, fish-shaped cast iron ingots were developed by the group to provide dietary supplementation to individuals affected by iron-deficiency living in poverty. When placed in a pot of boiling water, the ingots release elemental iron into the water and food being cooked.

The solution was considered such a huge success that in 2012 the Lucky Iron Fish Project was formed to develop the iron fish on a larger scale, promote the product in rural areas and distribute it to non-governmental organization partners.

The inexpensive iron lumps shaped like smiling fish are 7.5 centimeters long and have a lifespan of about five years.

The Lucky Iron Fish, which is said to release iron at exactly the right concentration to provide up to 90% of the recommended daily iron intake for an entire family, is now being used by thousands of Cambodians. In fact, more than 50,000 Lucky Iron Fish have been sold worldwide and the solution has helped to correct iron deficiency in about 90,000 people and more than 15,000 households.

Home, Steel Home

The power of iron is even more impressive when combined with love and goodwill. A perfect example of this is POSCO’s Happy Steel House—a project that helps those who have recently lost their homes get back to normal life as quickly as possible.

The Happy Steel House was first established by POSCO in 1996. These homes are built to be resistant to natural disasters like fire, earthquakes and storms, but more importantly can be constructed within two weeks.

Since 2015, POSCO’s Happy Steel House has become even sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing, thanks to POSCO C&C’s manufactured panels. In addition, POSCO’s Steel Solution Marketing Team developed an external material product through POSCO A&C’s unique Flow Coating—a technique that produces colored steel plates. The end result was a Happy Steel House with an entirely new look.

More significant than the improved design was the fact that the base of the Happy Steel House grew sturdier with every new home that was built, including those constructed for 16 Korean families who lost their homes to fires. This was achieved by applying the expertise of POSCO’s executives, staff members and global youth volunteers, as well as warmth and caring for those in need.

Building Bridges as Strong as Steel

POSCO’s mantra of volunteering and sharing is also playing an active role in other parts of the world. In Vietnam, where tropical monsoons are common, POSCO built a steel bridge for communities affected by floods.

Due to heavy rainfall six months a year, Vietnam’s bridges often become submerged under water during the wet season. This makes transportation a huge safety concern for locals.

What’s even more worrying is the fact that many young students use these bridges on a daily basis to commute to school. Since most of the wooden bridges do not have a handrail, it is even more dangerous for pedestrians, as they are unable to see where the bridges begin and end. As such, young children often trudge through flooded areas blindly in an effort to make their way across to get to school in time.

In order to secure safe traveling, POSCO built a steel bridge in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s flood area, Da Bac, with the help and hard work of employees and affiliates.

The “POSCO Vietnam Holdings – Steel Bridge” boasts steel handrails to provide a safe and sturdy way for the students to walk to school.

POSCO’s steel bridge was successfully completed with the help of POSCO’s global youth volunteers, POSCO A&C’s design, POSCO SS VINA’s supplies and POSCO E&C’s handrail work and construction. Thanks to these contributors’ talent and love, students and local residents in Da Bac are getting around safely, even during the wet season.

From iron health supplements to the roofs that shelter us to the bridges that help us reach our destination, iron is keeping us warm, happy and healthy.

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What is the Food Donation Drive?

As part of the company’s efforts to promote volunteer work among employees, POSCO-INDIA (President Mr. Gee-Woong Sung) started the “Food Donation Drive” program in December 2015, in collaboration with Delhi-NCR Foodbank. The second food drive was successfully held between January 18-23 of this year with overwhelming employee participation. The goal of this program is to provide free food to those in need to help eliminate hunger and food insecurity in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region). It is a small effort towards ending the fight against hunger and malnutrition in India.

Under this program, food collection boxes are placed at the main entrance lobby of POSCO-INDIA and POSCO-IDPC office premises for one week. Employees donate unlimited quantities of non-perishable food items such as rice, wheat flour, sugar and cooking oil. At the end of the week, representatives of Delhi-NCR Foodbank collect the donations. These food items are then used as part of the hot meals that are provided daily to approximately a quarter million vulnerable and homeless residents in Delhi and nearby regions.

A True Internal “Volunteer” Activity

Delhi-NCR Foodbank was first implemented in 2012 and is operated by the Responsenet Development Services (RDS), India. They collect food donations from individuals and corporate organizations, and redistribute them in the form of cooked meals at 30 feeding centers that provide services to the poor, homeless, charitable hospitals and orphanages.

It should be noted that the food drive contributions at POSCO-INDIA are made voluntarily by employees. The volunteering efforts come from inside the company, out of a desire to make a change and create value in the community, as well as nurture a sense of empathy. The importance of eradicating hunger and providing nutrition in India has been reiterated as one of the provisions for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in Schedule VII of Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act 2013. Also, according to Indian law, it is mandatory for companies to set aside 2 percent of their net profits for CSR activities, which is why several Indian companies chose efforts like these as a part of their CSR programs.

Interview with POSCO Employees

We interviewed employees who took part in this program. See what they had to say.

Q. How does it feel to participate in the “Food Donation Drive” program?

 Mr. Pabitra Mohan Swain, Administration Department: “I felt really happy and pleased to be part of a program that helps to fulfill one of the most important basic needs of a human being. The most memorable part for me was the way everyone came forward to help voluntarily.”

Mr. Shreenibasha Mishra, Finance Department: “I was able to share my food with someone who really needs it, which made me feel more motivated about going to work. I love that my company thinks highly enough of its employees and the things we care about to give us time and money to give back to causes we care about.”

Ms. Trupti Ray: “I do feel as if I have something special to offer to a very special cause to help others, to make a small difference in children’s lives. I remembered the gradual filling of the food basket on each day and feel happier thanks to POSCO India’s employees. It’s such a great feeling to be around other people who support the same cause that you feel strongly about.”

Q. As an employee, how do you feel about POSCO-INDIA participating in CSR activities?

Mr. Pabitra Mohan Swain: “As an employee I am proud to be a part of POSCO-India—an organization that always promotes voluntary donations, as per the vision of our Honorable CMD to ‘Donate Voluntarily’ and silently to serve the community. Since joining last year I have seen various CSR activities carried out by POSCO India and POSCO Family companies, which really inspires me as an individual.”

Mr. Shreenibasha Mishra: “Today, being in business for the sake of making profit is not enough. Customers and consumers will continue to expect good quality products and services. To a larger extent than before, people choose to work with or buy from companies that positively impact their community. Therefore, it is important to include CSR in a business’ strategic plans. It is a win-win for all involved—the company, the customers, the community and society.”

Ms. Trupti Ray: “I feel inspired, connected and hopeful working in a company like POSCO India, where employees spend their time and effort doing something good for society, and to make the world a better place.”

Apart from sharing with the underprivileged, POSCO-INDIA employees also nurture an appreciation culture within the organization by adding messages to the “Appreciation Tree” to show appreciation of other employees’ actions and behaviors. This creates a sense of oneness and fun within the workplace.

Since its establishment, POSCO has identified its corporate mission as contributing to the nation’s development, and has carried out various social responsibility activities to do so. Keeping the same spirit, POSCO-INDIA aims “for a better world” together through its small efforts in contributing to India’s society.

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