Gwangyang Steelworks Launches 'Happy Journey with Seniors' Lunchbox Delivery Project

POSCO 1% Nanum Foundation, Gwangyang City, and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority Joint Support

Preventing Senior Hunger and Creating Jobs: Two Birds with One Stone

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Director Lee Jin-su) held a ‘Lunchbox Delivery Project Launch Ceremony’ on the 20th at Jungma Senior Welfare Center and began supporting the healthy elderly life of solitary seniors in the region.

The ‘Lunchbox Delivery Project’ was first launched in 2016 to prevent meal deprivation among solitary seniors who have difficulty moving and thus face challenges using the free meal service ‘House of Sharing’ operated independently by Gwangyang Steelworks.

This project, operated based on joint financial support from the ‘POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation’?funded by 1% of POSCO employees’ salaries?and Gwangyang City and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, has been providing warm meals like ‘home-cooked food’ to seniors for seven years this year.

In particular, it is even more meaningful as it is linked to income generation for seniors who wish to participate in social activities.

Gwangyang Steelworks entrusts 10 seniors in the region with lunchbox preparation, and the meals they cook themselves?including rice, soup, and side dishes?are packed into lunchboxes and delivered five times a week (Monday to Friday) by POSCO and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority employees to 70 households of solitary seniors.

Over the past six years, a total of 73 seniors have received jobs through the ‘Lunchbox Delivery Project,’ and about 80,000 lunchboxes have been delivered so far.

In his commemorative speech, Lee Cheol-ho, Deputy Director of Gwangyang Steelworks, said, “Now in its seventh year, this project is a very meaningful one that kills two birds with one stone by delivering lunchboxes to solitary seniors in the region to take care of their health and creating jobs for seniors participating in lunchbox preparation,” adding, “Gwangyang Steelworks promises to continue fulfilling its role as a corporate citizen for the healthy and happy elderly life of local seniors.”

The event ended with a kimchi-making activity. Attendees including Lee Cheol-ho, Deputy Director of Gwangyang Steelworks; Seo Young-bae, Chairman of Gwangyang City Council; Park Seong-hyun, President of Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority; Kim Jae-kyung, Chairman of Gwangyang City Love Sharing Welfare Foundation; Jeong Byeong-gwan, Director of Jungma Senior Welfare Center; and Ban Young-seung, Director of Gwangyang Senior Club, carefully made kimchi wishing that the seniors would enjoy it, adding warmth to the event.

The kimchi made that day was packaged together with samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) for revitalization during the hot summer and delivered to each senior’s home.

Meanwhile, Gwangyang Steelworks resumed operation of the ‘House of Sharing,’ which had been temporarily suspended for 2 years and 4 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in June, taking the lead in practicing the corporate citizenship management philosophy.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.