Amidst the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerable group such as homeless people, the elderly living alone and small business owners like local restaurants have been facing even more difficulties and each is struggling to survive day by day.

Being aware of this problem, last month, SK Group has started a project called “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” (in Korean: “한끼 나눔 온(溫)택트”) to provide packed lunches to vulnerable people in Korea. This also marks the first CSR program in 2021 of SK Innovation.

The first CEO of SK Innovation affiliates that participated in this program is Cho Kyong-mok, CEO of SK Energy. On February 5^th CEO Cho Kyong-mok and other members of the company visited the Myeongdong soup kitchen, Seoul, South Korea to give out warm lunchboxes to homeless people despite cold weather.

 ▲ CEO of SK Energy Cho Kyong-mok (wearing glasses) and other members of the company prepare the lunch boxes for the homeless on Feb 5th in Seoul, Korea.

On this day, SK Energy CEO and staff delivered warm lunches to over 500 homeless people in Seoul, Korea. This is an even more meaningful activity as Koreans are ready for a big holiday one week later – the Lunar New Year “Seollal”, one of the most important traditional Korean holiday.

 ▲ (Left) SK Energy members prepare lunch boxes to give the homeless / (Right) CEO of SK Energy Cho Kyong-mok delivers the gifts to a homeless

In addition, SK Energy also gave the homeless face masks made by O2M, a social venture supported by SK Innovation, to protect homeesss from Corona virus. This is a way for SK Innovation to strengthen its social safety net. After CEO of SK Energy, other CEOs and leaders of SK Innovation are also expected to take part in this program.

 ▲ (Left) CEO of SK Energy Cho Kyong-mok (wearing glasses, second from left) gives a homeless a box of masks produced by O2M / (Right) O2M’s masks were prepared to give the homeless.

“Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” is a project initiated by SK Group. Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, said in a New Year’s that, “A catastrophe such as a pandemic destroys the weakest places in society,” and suggested, “Let’s use our capabilities to start with what we can do right away.” He emphasized now was the time for the group’s employees to embrace a new spirit of entrepreneurship that prioritizes working together to solve social issues.

Chairman Chey also said the group will expand its Happy Lunch Box charitable program nationwide. At a time when the country’s food distribution agencies are struggling due to the spread of COVID-19, SK Group will provide a total of 400,000 meals to vulnerable groups across the country for the next three months. Based on this, since January, SK Group has been operating the “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact Project,” which supports vulnerable people in Korea.

Previously, from January 26th to Februrary 3rd, SK Innovation has held various ceremonies to deliver the fund for “Sharing a Meal, Warm Contact” projects across its domestic business sites, including Seoul, Ulsan, Incheon, Seosan and Jeungpyeong. Through these funds, SK Innovation cooperate with the local governments and 11 social welfare organizations such as the Living Alone Seniors Support Center, the Slice Room Counseling Center of Daejeon Metropolitan City, etc. to provide approximately 60,000 lunch boxes and meal kits for about 1,000 elderly living alone and homeless people. This program is planned to operate from January to June this year.