Posted December. 18, 2006 07:04,
It feels less hard if you twist your body like youre dancing.
In a lane in Seoul at 10:00 a.m. on December 16, when it was extremely cold, a total of 50 students and citizens in red gloves and aprons were cueing up to pass briquettes on to the next person, shouting Heave ho, heave away!
They took off their sweated outer garments. On this day, a total of 1,500 briquettes were delivered to five low-income families in a village in Singil7-dong for the winter.
The delivery service was done by around 50 people, including Kang Ji-won, co-director of Purme Foundation, Choi Jong-kook, senior director of human resources team in LG Electronics, other LG Electronics employees, and university student volunteer work group members. LG Electronics contributed 40 million won for the Dong-A Ilbo, Purme Foundation, and Love Briquettes Movement to purchase around 100,000 briquettes.
I was sorry to borrow briquettes from everywhere, but now there will be no problem this winter.
Lee Geum-ja (64), who lives with her daughter, sent her appreciation with a bow every time she received a briquette.
Lee recently held the memorial service on the 49th day after her husbands death. He had lived for 25 years since he lost his eyesight at a construction site. Lee gathers wastepaper in the neighborhood to make ends meet after the government subsidies for the disabled, which was once the only income for the couple, is discontinued after the death of her husband.
Lee could not make a fire in the briquette stove even when her husband was alive. She has spent every winter only with an electrical blanket. She smiled a broad smile, saying, We could make a fire in the stove all day long thanks to the briquettes given by benevolent people this year.
It was freezing cold in the single room, in which Chae Ki-tak (73) from the same village lives. The cold drafts were coming in through the cracks of the paper door. Chae has an oil stove, but he does not use it because 20 thousand won of oil can last no more than three days.
Chae worked as a janitor until this summer, but resigned due to age. He also gathers wastepaper for a living. His wife passed away four years ago, and his three sons hardly visit him.
Chae said in an elevated voice, Three hundred briquettes would be enough for me not to lay styrofoam this winter. I am going to buy a briquette stove right away rather than to use the oil stove.
Habil Singh (26), an Indian working for the customer services team of LG Electronics, volunteered to work for the briquette delivery service this day. He said, Five to six low-income household out of 10 use briquettes to pass winter in India as well. I hope poor people could get through winter warmly, as it is cold in winter in Korea.
Purme Foundation director Gang said, I am abruptly realizing that there are still a lot of people in need of briquettes in our neighborhoods.
LG Electronics Choi said, It is my pleasure that we can deliver our concern and love to our neighbors through briquette delivery services for poor people to go through winter this year.
The Love Briquettes Movement this winter raised a total of 300 million won from corporations and individuals, and is planning to provide 1.5 million briquettes for around 1,000 households.
Won Ki-joon, executive director of the Love Briquettes Movement, said, Our small concern can be a unforgettable memory to the neighbors who are having troubles even with a briquette worth only three hundred won.
Those who need briquette delivery can call the Purme Foundation (www.purme.com) at 02-720-7002. For donation applications, call the Purme Foundation at 02-720-7002, Dong-A Ilbo Administration at 02-2020-0540, or the Love Briquettes Movement at 02-334-1045.