Three-month campaign runs Nov. 15 through Feb. 14; temperature tower rises 1 degree Celsius for every 23 million won raised
Last year's record haul of 3.02 billion won surpassed; this year's target set at 2.3 billion won
Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch donates 90 million won in cash and goods; Hopes Sharing Market contributes 950 boxes of kimchi
Songpa-gu in Seoul has launched a winter sharing campaign targeting 2.3 billion won ($1.73 million) to help vulnerable residents through the cold season.
The district office held an unveiling ceremony for its "Love Temperature Tower" on Thursday at the district office lobby, marking the official start of the "2027 Hopes Ondol Warm Winter" fundraising campaign. The drive runs from Nov. 15 through Feb. 14 next year, a three-month period.
The campaign is a public-private partnership carried out in cooperation with the Seoul Community Chest of Korea. Donations of cash and goods will go toward supporting low-income vulnerable groups — including elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and single-parent families — as well as local welfare facilities. The campaign places particular emphasis on identifying and assisting residents who fall through the cracks of the formal welfare system.
This year's fundraising target is 2.3 billion won, roughly 83 percent of the 2.78 billion won average raised over the past three years. The district set the goal with economic conditions in mind, including the broader slowdown and donors' capacity to give.
Last year, active participation from businesses, organizations and residents produced a record 3.02 billion won in cash and in-kind donations.
This year the campaign will also operate a "1,000-won donation" system to encourage small everyday contributions. Residents can tap a credit card on a dedicated terminal installed in the district office lobby to automatically donate 1,000 won. The initiative aims to make giving accessible to anyone regardless of the amount and to spread a culture of everyday philanthropy.
Corporate support arrived alongside the campaign's launch. The Hopes Sharing Market donated 950 boxes of kimchi it had prepared directly, continuing its support from last year. Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch delivered about 40 million won in cash raised through a Christmas market, along with 50 million won worth of goods for low-income children.
The Love Temperature Tower rises by 1 degree Celsius for every 23 million won collected against the 2.3 billion won goal, converting fundraising progress into a temperature reading that shows the community how far the campaign has come.
The unveiling ceremony on Thursday drew representatives from local corporate sponsors and goodwill ambassadors from each neighborhood. The event included donation presentations, the distribution of charity piggy banks and a pre-ceremony performance to mark the spirit of sharing.
"I am grateful to everyone who joins in giving for their neighbors despite difficult economic conditions," Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to practice warm welfare and attentive care to build an inclusive Songpa where no one is left behind."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
