'2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign' Fundraising Begins

[Seoul District News] Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gijae attended the unveiling ceremony marking the start of the '2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign' at Yangcheon Digital Media Center on the 17th morning... Dongdaemun-gu held the unveiling ceremony of the Love Thermometer tower announcing the start of the '2023 Warm Winter Campaign' on the 16th morning... Seongdong-gu started the campaign with the unveiling ceremony of the Love Thermometer tower that rises as sharing increases, operating until February 14 next year... Gangnam-gu began the unveiling ceremony of the Love Thermometer tower with digital signage enabling mobile donations on the 15th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, attended the unveiling ceremony marking the start of the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign’ held at the Yangcheon Digital Media Center on the morning of the 17th.

The ‘Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ campaign is a public-private cooperative donation sharing campaign carried out annually from November to February of the following year for three months to stabilize the lives and improve the welfare of families in crisis within the region. This year, Yangcheon-gu’s fundraising target is 855 million KRW.

At the unveiling ceremony, key local figures including Mayor Lee, the first donation celebrity of Yangcheon-gu, the chairman of the Yangcheon-gu Integrated Defense Council, the chairman of the Education District Council, and residents attended, delivering a warm message of hope to the community through the unveiling of the Love Temperature Tower and participation in the donation relay.

Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu stated, “I ask all residents to show great interest and actively participate in the Hope Ondol Warm Winter project so that it can be remembered as a warm and happy winter through the hands of sharing.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) held the unveiling ceremony of the Love Temperature Tower on the morning of the 16th in the first-floor lobby of the district office to mark the start of the ‘2023 Warm Winter Campaign’.

The Love Temperature Tower unveiling ceremony is an event hosted by the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest and sponsored by Dongdaemun-gu to promote the ‘Warm Winter Campaign’ and create an atmosphere encouraging donations.

Attendees included Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, Shin Hye-young, Secretary General of the Community Chest, Shin Tae-seop, Deputy Manager, and other officials.

The Love Temperature Tower installed in the first-floor lobby of the district office rises by 1℃ for every 12.75 million KRW raised, reaching 100℃ when the target amount of 1,274.98 million KRW is achieved. The tower will operate until February 14, 2023, the end date of the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign.’

Over the three months, the district will collect donations and goods from local residents, businesses by neighborhood, religious groups, and philanthropists, and also conduct non-face-to-face fundraising using QR codes for easy participation.

The funds and goods collected during the campaign will be distributed through the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest to basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty groups, low-income individuals (including elderly living alone and disabled persons), and facilities, institutions, and organizations providing social welfare services to those with incomes below 120% of the median.

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun-gu, who attended the ceremony, said, “If we raise the temperature of the Love Temperature Tower by 1℃ with our warm hearts, we will soon reach 100℃ and warm the cold winter. I ask for your interest and love in fundraising and collecting goods so that our neighbors in need can spend a healthy and warm winter.”

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) held the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ proclamation ceremony on the morning of the 16th in the first-floor lobby of Jung-gu Office, pledging to accompany neighbors in need until February 14 of next year.

The Hope Ondol Warm Winter project is an annual fundraising campaign carried out through public-private cooperation to support low-income residents and families in crisis during winter. It is hosted by the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest and involves local residents, organizations, and businesses centered around the district office.

At the proclamation ceremony on the 16th, about 100 people including ambassadors from each neighborhood, residents, and staff attended, with events such as the unveiling of the temperature tower and hanging of the Love Fruit. To spread the culture of sharing, photo zones and event zones were operated, and participation in SNS certification photo campaigns was encouraged.

During the campaign period, donation boxes for helping neighbors will be placed at a total of 16 locations including the district office and neighborhood community centers, and simple non-face-to-face fundraising using QR codes will be conducted simultaneously.

Especially, a fundraising temperature tower and Love Fruit Tree will be installed on the first floor of the district office building, where residents frequently visit, to encourage interest and participation in helping neighbors.

The collected donations and goods will be used for emergency living expenses, medical expenses, etc., for low-income residents in the district and will also be delivered to socially marginalized groups such as elderly living alone, disabled families, single-parent families, and children suffering from food insecurity.

‘Sharing in Jung-gu’ will also be promoted six times. Rich relay sharing events linked with local companies, such as kimchi sharing at Lotte Department Store, support for family meetings of the Jun Scholarship Association, and Sponsor’s Day events, are planned.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong of Jung-gu said, “Despite the impact of COVID-19 over the past three years, the unwavering support of companies and the continuous donations from small donors have filled warmth even in harsh winters. I ask for your continued interest and participation so that neighbors in need can spend a warm winter.”

Individuals, organizations, or companies wishing to donate money or goods can deposit at the donation reception desks set up at the Jung-gu Welfare Support Division or neighborhood community centers or make online payments. By scanning the QR code, you can participate in helping neighbors through credit card, bank transfer, or simple payment methods.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) held the unveiling ceremony of the Seongdong-gu Love Temperature Tower and the Love Fruit Hanging event on the 15th to promote the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign.’

The Seongdong-gu Love Temperature Tower unveiling ceremony is an event hosted by the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest and sponsored by Seongdong-gu to mark the start of the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign.’ At the ceremony, key figures and local residents hung Love Fruits to promote warm winter support and encourage donation participation.

The Seongdong-gu Love Temperature Tower will operate for three months until February 14 of next year. The temperature rises by 1℃ for every 15 million KRW raised, reaching 100℃ when the fundraising goal of 1.5 billion KRW is achieved.

Additionally, in high foot traffic areas such as in front of Seongdong-gu Office, Wangsimni Five-way Intersection, and Wangsimni Station, the Seongdong-gu Love Fruit Sharing Volunteer Group and the Seongdong-gu Community Security Council will conduct the ‘Love Fruit Hanging Campaign’ to encourage many residents to take interest in neighbors in need.

The district promotes non-face-to-face donations for convenience, allowing easy donations by accessing a QR code on flyers or clicking a smartphone URL. Donation kiosks will also be installed at Seongdong-gu Office and Emart Wangsimni and Seongsu branches to encourage easy donations by residents. Donations of money or goods are also accepted through 17 neighborhood community centers and the district office.

The collected donations and goods will be used through the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest to support vulnerable groups such as low-income residents and elderly living alone with emergency living expenses, housing costs, medical expenses, and education expenses, greatly helping to solve social issues in Seongdong-gu.

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, “Looking around, there are many marginalized people spending a cold winter alone. Your small interest can gather to give strength and courage to neighbors in need, so I ask for your active participation.”

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will conduct the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ fundraising campaign from the unveiling ceremony of the Love Temperature Tower on the 15th until February 14 of next year.

This fundraising campaign, promoted as a public-private joint cooperation project by Gangnam-gu and the Community Chest of Korea, allows local residents, organizations, and businesses to participate in donations to help neighbors in need.

The fundraising period is three months until February 14 of next year, with a target amount of 3.7 billion KRW.

There are two ways to donate: money and goods. Monetary donations can be deposited into the fundraising account assigned to each autonomous district and then a donation receipt submitted to the Gangnam-gu Welfare Policy Division or the nearest neighborhood community center. Goods can be donated by following the guidance of the district or neighborhood community center and completing the related documents. The collected donations and goods will be delivered to marginalized groups such as low-income households, disabled persons, and elderly living alone who need a helping hand.

Donations are also eligible for tax deductions during year-end tax settlements with the National Tax Service.

Additionally, at the ‘Let’s Join! Love Temperature Tower’ unveiling ceremony held in the district office lobby on the 15th, the ‘Smart Temperature Tower’ produced using digital signage will be introduced for the first time among local governments nationwide. This tower allows anyone to conveniently donate via smartphone QR code during the fundraising period, and the fundraising amount can be checked in real time.

Last year, the total amount raised was 3.646 billion KRW (1.285 billion KRW in cash and 2.361 billion KRW in goods), all of which was fully supported to marginalized neighbors. The funds were used for holiday consolation money, scholarships for low-income households below 120% of median income, support for families in crisis, social welfare facilities, and emergency relief for disasters and accidents.

Mayor Jo Seong-myeong of Gangnam-gu said, “Although Gangnam is known as a wealthy area, it ranks 12th among 25 autonomous districts in the number of basic livelihood security recipients and third in the number of public rental housing, so welfare demand is not small. I hope this fundraising campaign will widely spread a culture of sharing led by local residents, represented by ‘noblesse oblige,’ and provide great courage and hope to low-income groups.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will promote the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ project until February 14 of next year to help neighbors in difficult living conditions spend a warm winter, and on the 17th will conduct a donation relay campaign to spread the culture of sharing at the Yangcheon Digital Media Center.

The ‘Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ campaign is a public-private cooperative donation sharing campaign carried out annually from November to February of the following year by the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest, Yangcheon-gu, and the Yangcheon Love Welfare Foundation to stabilize the lives and improve the welfare of families in crisis within the region.

This year, Yangcheon-gu’s fundraising target is 855 million KRW, and all collected donations and goods will be used for low-income residents in the region.

The district will install the ‘Love Temperature Tower’ to mark the start of the fundraising campaign and plans to widely spread a warm message of sharing in the community through a donation relay, the unveiling ceremony of the Love Temperature Tower, and participation by the mayor (Yangcheon-gu’s first donation celebrity), key local figures, and residents at the Yangcheon Digital Media Center on the 17th.

During the campaign period, 18 neighborhood community centers and the district office will accept donations of money and goods. The Yangcheon-gu donation account is with Woori Bank (Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest), and non-face-to-face donations via smartphone QR code are also possible. All donations can receive donation receipts and tax deduction benefits.

From last November to early February this year, the district conducted a warm winter fundraising campaign for three months and raised a total of 1.402 billion KRW, exceeding the initial target by more than 164%.

Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, “When each precious heart gathers, it becomes great happiness for our neighbors. I ask all residents to show great interest and actively participate in the Hope Ondol Warm Winter project so that it can be remembered as a warm and happy winter through the hands of sharing.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) will promote the ‘2023 Hope Ondol Warm Winter (Daggyeo) Project’ for three months until February 14 of next year.

The Daggyeo project is a fundraising campaign carried out by the district and the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest (Chairman Yoon Young-seok) under the slogan ‘Sharing Together, Sustainable Future’ to help low-income vulnerable groups spend a warm winter.

Last year, the district ranked first in fundraising amount in Seoul and has set this year’s fundraising target at 2 billion KRW, planning to carry out various projects.

First, by activating the ‘Love Piggy Bank Coin Collection,’ donations collected by children will be designated and donated for the treatment costs of children with pediatric cancer and rare incurable diseases.

To spread the spirit of sharing, donation ceremonies and photo zones for piggy bank submission certification photos will be operated to share donation results together.

The ‘Donation Sharing Relay’ led by businesses and neighborhood community centers will also be expanded. In this relay method, donors recommend the next donor, and certification photos are posted on the district office and neighborhood community center websites to encourage fundraising.

Additionally, a coin collection box will be installed at the information desk on the first floor of the district office main building to activate voluntary donations by employees.

The Daggyeo project proclamation ceremony will be held on the 24th on the first floor of the district office main building, along with the first donor delivery ceremony of the donation sharing relay.

A promotional video containing donation participation encouragement performances involving children, small business owners, disabled persons, elderly, and businesspeople will be available from the 25th on the district office website, YouTube channel iGangseoTV, and outdoor electronic billboards.

Last year, the district raised a total of 3.4 billion KRW worth of donations through the ‘2022 Warm Winter Project,’ exceeding the target amount (2 billion KRW) by 172%, achieving the highest fundraising amount ever and being selected as an excellent autonomous district for two consecutive years.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo of Gangseo-gu said, “The public and private sectors together encourage donation participation through an excellent cooperation system, actively discover and support beneficiaries, and widely spread warm hands for neighbors in need. We will fully utilize the know-how of being an excellent autonomous district for two consecutive years and carry out various projects to shine bright light on the dark places of marginalized groups and accompany socially vulnerable people.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) completed the ‘2022 Love Kimchi Sharing’ event over two days from the 14th to the 15th.

Every year during kimchi-making season, the district has held large-scale kimchi-making events with residents. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, since 2020 the mixing process has been omitted, and finished products have been purchased and delivered by neighborhood.

The quantity was 11,000 boxes of 8 kg each, 200 boxes more than last year. The entire amount of kimchi was purchased through sponsorship from the Yongsan Welfare Foundation and the company Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) and distributed through the 16 neighborhood community security councils.

This year, it was delivered to 7,740 households of low-income residents and other socially vulnerable groups, and 182 social welfare facilities and organizations. About 480 volunteers, 20 to 40 per neighborhood, helped with distribution.

On the 14th, kimchi was delivered to Hangangno-dong, Ichon 1-dong, Ichon 2-dong, Wonhyo-ro 2-dong, Wonhyo-ro 1-dong, Yongmun-dong, Hyochang-dong, and Cheongpa-dong; on the 15th, to Itaewon 1-dong, Hannam-dong, Bogwang-dong, Seobinggo-dong, Itaewon 2-dong, Namyeong-dong, Huam-dong, and Yongsan 2-ga-dong.

A district official said, “Winter is a colder season for socially vulnerable groups. We hope the kimchi filled with neighborly affection will be of some help to them.”