Angels in Gangdong-gu Share Warmth with Socially Vulnerable Groups, Recording Highest Contribution for This Winter

- Gangdong-gu raised KRW 1,691.67 million with a total of 1,073 contributions through the “2024 Warm Wintering” project

Many residents, including an elderly who donated his entire savings and anonymous benefactors, made contributions

- Businesses also showed their participated through huge donations, plogging, and many more

 Gangdong-gu (Head: Lee Soo-hee) announced that it raised KRW 1,691.67 billion, which is a record high, through the “2024 Warm Wintering” project, which has been conducted since November last year. 

  The Warm Wintering project is designed to raise funds for neighbors in welfare blind spots. Every year, the Community Chest of Korea Seoul branch hosts fund-raising activities in cooperation with Gangdong-gu.

  In particular, the fund-raising this year far exceeded its goal (KRW 1.5 billion), after a total of 1,073 contributors from all levels of society, such as businesses, organizations, hobby clubs, and individuals, participated in the project. 

  Such contributions were possible with the good heart of residents and businesses to help neighbors in need and join the spread of donation culture in the local community. 

  In December last year, one anonymous donor made a donation of KRW 5 million to the Gil-dong Community Service Center in Gangdong-gu, together with a handwritten letter, “I am thankful and glad that I could make a donation this year, too.” It became the talk of the local community after this anonymous donor has left KRW 5 million and a letter every year since 2020. Also, one elderly, a beneficiary of the basic livelihood security program, living in Cheonho-dong donated KRW 1 million he had saved frugally, expressing his warm heart of “hoping to help neighbors in need in a difficult time.” 

  Contributions from individuals continued. One resident in Gangil-dong donated KRW 365,000 after saving KRW 1,000 every day, with his hopes of “returning the help to the community, which he had received.”

  The donations made by residents’ hobby clubs were remarkable. This year, Soullim Alpine Club, Together Alpine Club, Hangang Sports Club, and many more joined the Warm Wintering project. An employee of the Gangdong-gu Office also donated KRW 4 million to help children from the socially disadvantaged who will enter middle school this year so that they can continue their studies. 

  Entrepreneurs in Gangdong-gu also delivered their hearts with huge donations and unusual contributions. Dasung Construction Co., Ltd. and KDW Wedding (CEO Han Myeong-seop and his wife Kim Yeong-ae) made generous contributions of KRW 100 million and KRW 200 million, respectively. On the other hand, around 80 employees of Dodram Nonghyup (President Park Gwang-wook) participated in Gangdong-gu's “plogging” event held along Godeokcheon Stream twice. After calculating their cumulative number of steps, Dodram Nonghyup delivered its products worth KRW 12 million to soup kitchens for the elderly. Also, Sunjin Logistics Co., Ltd. (CEO Jeong Yu-jin), an international logistics company, and its 200+ employees collected donations and profits from online charity bazaar held at the end of the year, donatnig KRW 5 million to Gangdong-gu. They contributed to practicing closed-loop recycling and sharing with the neighborhood.

  Gangdong-gu plans to hand out letters of gratitude to all donors of the Warm Wintering project and award prizes to outstanding donors. 

 The donated living supplies and food provisions, such as rice and kimchi, were sent to socially vulnerable groups. Moreover, the funds so raised will be used for families in need of living, medical, housing, and educational expenses, including those in welfare blind spots.

  Shin Su-jeong, the director of the Welfare Policy Division, said, “A lot of people delivered their warm hearts even in a continued economic slump. In response, we will endeavor to spread the meaning of donation and the true heart of donors to the local community.”