?

On Saturday November 22, 2014, Seegene, a company that specializes in molecular diagnosis, participated in distributing coal briquettes as a community service activity. Preparations for this event had begun in September by Seegnee employees and their families in conjunction with the Yeontan (coal briquette) Bank located in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul. Then, briquettes were distributed to low-income senior citizens living alone and who had no choice but to depend on this method of heating.?

?

Toward the end of the year, sharing coal briquettes (Briquettes of Love) is the most popular community service activity conducted by domestic companies as a way of giving back to the community. Thanks to this trend, there are many helping hands, but the sheer number of those in need means that even more help is needed. Participating for the first time, Seegene began accepting applications from volunteers and collecting donations two months in advance. Employees from a diverse range of departments and positions signed up to volunteer with their friends and families. A total of 43 participants donated 500 coal briquettes. The 26 members who participated on the day of the event went door-to-door to distribute briquettes to 15 households.?

?

Director Mi-ae Shin of Yeontan Bank expressed her gratitude for Seegene’s activities. “We are of course thankful to those who send money donations, but we are much more grateful when people actually come to share our love with less fortunate members of our society. On rainy days like today, the event is usually cancelled. But thanks to everyone who came out to help despite the weather, these senior citizens will have a warmer winter.”?

?

The participants of this day’s activity, who all arrived early in the morning despite the rain and the cold, were motivated by the fact that senior citizens had been waiting to receive the briquettes. The sight of these elderly residents who came out into the alleys to welcome the participants with cups of warm coffee made Seegene employees feel humbled and even more motivated. But everyone ended up expending much more energy than they anticipated. As they found out, distributing briquettes requires a great deal of physical exertion, and they were saddened to learn that because of this not many people participate compared to the amount of monetary donations sent.

?

Seegene Director Seong-youl Kim had the following to say about taking part in this day’s activity. “I realized just how many people live under difficult financial straits. While carrying the briquettes one by one, I also learned how emotionally taxing community service can be. They say that one coal briquette weighs 3.6kg, which is a figure that reminded me of the average human body temperature (36.5 degrees Celsius). This meaningful link made today even more satisfying to me, and I am proud of all the Seegene employees who participated. ”

Each month, Seegene engages in a variety of social contribution activities large and small for the community. In line with its reputation as a responsible global company, Seegene has been engaging in activities to fund programs for children overseas who are hungry or have debilitative diseases. But this year marked Seegene’s first domestic community service. Soon it will include helping welfare centers in Korea and making visits to single-household senior citizens and the socially vulnerable. Although 2014’s briquette deliveries were just the beginning Seegene’s domestic services, they convey the company’s warm wishes for all members of society that it will continue helping the needy long into the future.